Sudbury charges reflect new attitude towards sex trade

The sweep that led to three arrests for human trafficking in Ontario – including one Sudbury man – reflects a new focus in combating the sex trade, say Greater Sudbury Police.

Staff Sgt. Jordan Buchanan said under the new legislation – the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act — sex trade workers are considered the victims of the johns who buy their services, or the pimps to facilitate the sale of sex.

"The idea is, those are the people who we want to target, to charge, convict,” Buchanan said. “And the people being trafficked, we want to rescue them. Although one of the difficulties is they don't all want to be rescued.

"But the person perpetrating the (sex) act is identified as the victim now, and we're targetting the people who are using those persons to those ends."

In the Sudbury case, a 19-year-old woman was rescued from the sex trade, he said, one of three who are being helped as a result of the province-wide enforcement blitz.

Known as Operation Northern Spotlight, the initiative is a co-ordinated, national investigation among police forces to suppress human trafficking.

The most recent set of charges involved a co-ordinated effort of 18 police forces in Ontario, leading to dozens of charges.

In the Sudbury case, a 45-year-old man will be in bail court Friday morning to answer to charges of:

-Human trafficking;
-Procuring a Prostitute;
-Administering noxious substance;
-Receiving material benefits from human trafficking; and,
-Knowingly advertising an offer to provide sexual services for consideration.

In addition to a new focus, Buchanan said johns and pimp faces significantly harsher penalties, and police have a wider range of offences they can charge them with.

"But they have more or less decriminalized the prostitute, and now identify them as victims of human trafficking,” he said. “And they're making stronger laws aimed at men and woman who attempt to purchase or purchase the services of a prostitute, and the people who are trafficking them."

In Sudbury, the force's Break, Enter and Robbery unit was involved, as well as the Criminal Investigation unit. That's because BEAR unit officers are also specially trained in dealing with human trafficking cases.

"That's one of their little umbrellas,” Buchanan said. “And we also have a detective that works primarily with missing persons cases, but she also assists with these types of projects."

Part of the reason why prostitutes are no longer the target, he said, is police hope they will be more open to coming to them for help if they want to stop.

"We are always here for anyone in that position who wants to get out (of the sex trade),” he said. “We have officers who are trained to speak to them, identify options to them, safe places that can go."

The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act replaces former prostitution laws that were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada because they put sex trade workers at risk.

Traffickers faces stiffer penalties and a wider array of charges, while Johns can now face up to five years in jail and minimum fines of $500