Alleged 'serial sex trafficker' operating in the Greater Toronto and Vancouver areas charged
Police have charged an alleged “serial sex trafficker” they say was operating within the Greater Toronto and Vancouver areas for the last five years.
In a news release issued on Thursday, Toronto police said that six female victims were sexually exploited for a commercial purpose at different times since July 2018.
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Investigators added that in some cases the accused employed “coercion, deception, manipulation, physical violence, and psychological harm” to “maintain control, direction, or influence over some of the victims.”
All of the victim’s earnings from performing sex acts during that period were turned over to the accused, they said.
On February 14, a search warrant was executed near Bathurst and Front streets, during which police said they seized “items of evidentiary value.”
Joacquin “Hollywood Nise” Rowe, 38, of Toronto, is facing six counts of procuring/exercising control, five counts each of material benefit from sexual services and advertising another person’s sexual services, two counts each of trafficking in persons and material benefit trafficking persons over 18, and one count each of withhold identity documents, assault, material benefit from sexual services, launder proceeds of Canadian crime, and possess proceeds of property or thing obtained by crime in Canada exceeding $5,000.
The arrest was made as part of Project Blanco, an investigation led by Toronto police’s Human Trafficking Unit. Launched on Aug. 30, 2023, it was supported by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy through funding from the Ontario Government, Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.
Toronto police are concerned that there may be more victims and have released a photo of the accused.
“Police would like to encourage all affected individuals to come forward and report human trafficking occurrences to the police. We want to ensure everyone has access to support services and an exit strategy, regardless of their decision to proceed criminally” they said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-4838 or humantrafficking@torontopolice.on.ca, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.
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