A Thorold man is facing multiple charges in connection with an investigation into human trafficking in Durham Region.
Police say they initially received a phone call about a woman on July 14th who told a friend she was in a motel in Oshawa and had been kidnapped.
Police were dispatched to the motel and found the 38 year old woman who told police she had willingly entered the sex trade last year but had later been forced to hand over all the cash to the suspect.
It’s alleged the man promised to help her in the sex trade, in return for a percentage of her profits. Over the past several weeks that relationship deteriorated and the male began taking a larger percentage of the money until it was 100 per cent. He began threatening her and assaulted her several times she told police.
A warrant was issued for the man who was located while driving his vehicle in the Highway 115/401 area in the early morning of Saturday, July 15th.
31 year old Benjamin Brown of Thorold, Ontario, is charged with: Trafficking in Persons; Material Benefit from Trafficking in Persons; Obtain Sexual Services for Consideration; Material benefit from Sexual Services; Advertise Another Person’s Sexual Services; Exercise Control; Recruit Person to Provide Sexual Services for Consideration; and Assault Causing Bodily Harm.
Anyone with new information about this investigation is asked to contact the DRPS Human Trafficking Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 4888.
