A Montreal man is in custody after he allegedly forced a 17-year-old girl to work in the sex trade industry in Toronto earlier this month.
According to investigators, the girl met a man in Montreal in February.
A short time later, the girl traveled to Toronto with the man thinking it was strictly a trip.
However, once in Toronto, the man allegedly took the girl’s cell phone and identification and then destroyed the items.
Toronto Police said that the girl was then forced to work in the sex trade industry as an escort as her services were posted as advertisements online.
During this time, the girl was forced to hand over all the money she earned.
As well, it is alleged that the girl was assaulted, threatened and forced to provide sexual services to the man while in Toronto.
On March 4, the victim was able to escape from the man and subsequently contacted police. Then on March 5, a suspect was arrested while on a bus as he was attempting to leave the province.
A suspect identified as Montreal resident Jahvon Collins, 19, is now facing a total of 14 charges, including trafficking of a person under the age of 18 years by exercising control, sexual assault and assault with a weapon.
Collins was scheduled to appear in court in Toronto on Monday.
