After a 16-year-old girl disclosed to a school counsellor that she was being forced to work in the sex industry, an Edmonton couple is facing nine related charges and police are worried there are more victims.
The two were arrested Feb. 16 after officers from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams counter exploitation unit searched two homes. ALERT said the investigation began in November.
The teenager told her school counsellor she was recruited by the duo. ALERT said the victim met the pair at a social event.
“We want to recognize the courage and resiliency of the victim survivor,” said Staff Sgt. Frank Pagé with ALERT Human Trafficking. “ALERT is concerned that there are other victims out there and encourage them to reach out to us.
“Our primary goal is to ensure their safety and to connect them with available resources.”
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Sexual and labour human trafficking increasing in Alberta
Alexander Basaraba, 20, and Brooklyn Jober Sutherland, 19, have been charged with:
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- trafficking a person under the age of 18
- procuring a person under the age of 18
- arranging a sexual offence against a child
- material benefit from sex trafficking
- advertising sexual services
- making child pornography
- distributing child pornography
- possessing child pornography
- child luring
The two are scheduled to appear in court on March 10.
In a Tuesday news release, ALERT said the victim is receiving support and encouraged others who are affected by human trafficking to call 211 for help.
“We are concerned that there are more victims out there. We implore them to come forward. Our primary goal is to ensure their safety,” Pagé said.
“There’s a lot of shame-based concerns with these victims coming forward, they don’t want their families to know. So we’re hoping with some education they can realize that these are victims, this is something done to them. Hopefully we can break down some of those barriers.”
Pagé said officers do see youth being trafficked locally and it’s not as uncommon as some might think.
“We would like to do an education campaign in our junior and senior high schools to get the information out there, as far as what signs to look for, if their friends or people they know are being trafficked,” Pagé said. “But then also, what signs and symptoms do we need to look for to prevent this from happening in the first place? What kinds of strategies do traffickers use to enlist and lure victims into this lifestyle?”
Anyone with information can call their local police or Crime Stoppers.
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