Thunder Bay Police charge two with human trafficking

A missing persons case involving a 17-year-old female has resulted in the Thunder Bay Police Criminal Investigations Branch charging two southern Ontario males with human trafficking.

In a release issued today, police say investigators were assisting in a search for the missing female on January 9, who is from southern Ontario and was believed to be in Thunder Bay.

The female was found in the city and returned to her hometown. However, the investigation generated a multi-jurisdictional investigation into human trafficking.

That investigation resulted in Thunder Bay Police charging two southern Ontario men:

• A 20-year-old male, who was arrested in Thunder Bay on January 14 and charged with trafficking in persons under 18 years, and breach of probation. He's been remanded into custody.
• A male young offender, who has been charged with trafficking in persons under 18 years, procuring, living on the avails of prostitution of a person under 18 years, and distribution of child pornography. He was arrested January 16 by Peel Regional Police.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Thunder Bay Police at 684-1200, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.