An Edmonton couple charged earlier this year with human trafficking and child pornography-related offences is facing a combined 17 additional charges. A third suspect in the case has been arrested, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) announced Thursday.
Alexander Basaraba and Brooklyn Jober Sutherland were charged in February after a 16-year-old girl disclosed to a school counsellor that she was being forced to work in the sex industry.
ALERT said Thursday that a 17-year-old girl has since come forward to police saying she was also recruited and forced to work in the sex industry.
The agency said the girl is receiving support and specialized care.
“ALERT said from the onset of this investigation that our goal was supporting other survivors,” said Staff Sgt. Frank Pagé with the ALERT human trafficking unit.
“These arrests, and new charges, should demonstrate that we are listening and we are committed to holding their perpetrators accountable.”
Basaraba and Sutherland are charged with trafficking a person under the age of 18, procuring a person under the age of 18, arrangement for a sexual offence against a child, material benefit from sex trafficking, advertisement of sexual services, making child pornography, distributing child pornography and possessing child pornography.
Basaraba also faces an additional charge of child luring. Basaraba remains in police custody and is scheduled to appear in court on July 28.
ALERT also charged a third suspect, David Tom, with trafficking a person under the age of 18, obtaining sexual services for consideration and householder permitting prohibited sexual activity. Tom is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 7.