They came from the eastern shores of Canada, were born in its biggest city, are native to its oil-rich western province.
Some as young as 15, they hail from backgrounds as varied as their hometown geography. Affluent, poor or middle class, police say these girls were all recruited from dance clubs, group homes and even schools.
Wooed by pimps, then forced into sex work, they became victims of a massive human trafficking ring fuelled by the incessant demand for underage girls.
They were shuffled between hotels and motels around Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, London and Kitchener, and flown or driven to Winnipeg and Edmonton and back again. They were forced to service 10 to 15 clients a day, and beaten if they didn’t turn a big enough profit.
One girl netted her pimps over $90,000 in three month, police estimate.
Their identification taken, their cell phones controlled, cut off from the world, often drugged and abused, police say many more are likely still trapped, too scared to leave. (more...)
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