Thirteen men arrested at a Niagara Falls, Ont., hotel are facing charges in connection with a human trafficking investigation by local police.
Niagara Regional Police launched an investigation Jan. 31 to target adults using the internet to meet up with minors believed to be offering sexual services, according to a Feb. 13 police press release.
Police said officers arrested 13 men at a Niagara Falls hotel between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 with the help of multiple law enforcement agencies.
The suspects, who range in age from 22 to 60, are charged with luring a child for the purpose of obtaining sexual services, obtaining sexual services for consideration from a person under 18 years, and sexual exploitation of a young person.
Four of the accused are from Niagara Falls, three are from St. Catharines, two are from Thorold, and one each are from Niagara on the Lake, Welland, Windsor and Buffalo, New York. Police did not release any of the men’s names due to court-ordered publication bans.
The accused were held in custody and attended video bail hearings.
Niagara Regional Police Service Chief Bill Fordy said his force is “committed” to fighting crimes involving the online exploitation of children.
“These arrests showcase the dedication of our members in ensuring some of the most vulnerable members of our community are protected, sending a strong message that the predatory behaviours associated with human trafficking will not be tolerated in Niagara,” Chief Fordy said in the press release.
“We are committed to fighting human trafficking through intelligence-gathering and working cooperatively with law enforcement and community partners to support victims and enforcement efforts.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Niagara Police has an Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit comprised of three detectives. The ICE Unit has a “high rate of success” in conducting its own investigations as well as joint investigations with area police services, according to the police website.
In the latest investigation the ICE unit worked with the OPP Border Enforcement Security Team, Canada Border Services Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Department of Homeland Security in the United States. The OPP Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Led Joint Force Strategy, which is made up of police forces from Windsor, Barrie, Halton, Kingston, Durham, and Hamilton, was also involved in the investigation.
The police work with several “partner” agencies in the community to prevent human trafficking. One of those agencies is the YWCA Niagara Region.
YWCA director of programs Kayla Mayer told CBC that Niagara is an “epicentre” for human trafficking because the region is adjacent to the U.S. and is linked to the 401 corridor, a highway that stretches between Windsor and the Quebec border.
She described human trafficking as a “silent crime” because it is often difficult to investigate or lay charges.
