Mother of alleged prostitution ring victim testifies

Crown prosecutors and defence lawyers in a high profile teen prostitution trial have agreed on certain details in the case, as outlined in an agreed statement of facts that was entered as evidence on Friday.

Both sides in the case agree to the pseudonyms used by the three accused on various social media accounts. The Crown alleges the accused used those internet accounts to lure young teens into prostitution. 

One alleged victim testified that two of the accused used several of the pseudonyms. 

Earlier on Friday, the mother of a woman who alleges she was a second victim of the three Ottawa teen girls charged with running a prostitution ring testified in court about why her daughter may not have wanted to go to police.

One of the accused girls threatened to slit her daughter's throat if she contacted police, said the mother, who can’t be identified to protect the identity of her now 17-year-old daughter.

Her daughter begged her to not to call police because the three girls knew where she lived and where she went to school.

Then 16-year-old came home bruised and bloody, mother tells court

The threat was made in May 2012, she said, after her daughter was lured to the home of one of the accused.

Her then 16-year-old daughter previously told the court she was prostituted out to two men, allegedly coming home with a bloody nose and bruised face after being beaten.

Three teenaged girls — two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old —are facing 74 charges in the case, including human trafficking and forcible confinement, for allegedly luring nine girls to a southeast Ottawa home and forcing them into prostitution.

They were arrested in June 2012.

None of the accused or victims can be named because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Mother went to homes of accused

The mother also testified about a text message she received around midnight on the night her daughter alleges she was forced into prostitution that said "mommy I’ll be home soon."

She said her daughter would never use that term and when asked about it, the teen said she hadn’t sent the message – that one of the accused teens had stolen her phone.

The mother testified that she went to the houses of the accused three times.

She said she was trying to recover the personal items the accused allegedly stole, including a jacket, jewelry, a bus pass, a debit card, a cellphone and hair extensions.

"I was determined I wasn't going to stop until I got them back," she told the court.

She eventually got a jacket and hair extensions belonging to her daughter, she said.

Second day of increased security

Friday was also the second day of increased security at the Ottawa courthouse.

The Crown said a metal detector, which attendees had to walk through, is needed because of "recent events." No other details were given.

Police were also checking identification and bags, asking why people were attending the trial.

These new security measures were introduced on Thursday.