Woman and 3 teens wanted on human trafficking charges after victim says she was held for 5 days
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: December 18, 2017 10:28 PM | Last Updated: December 19, 2017
Jessica Nyome Louise Vinje, 29, and three teens are wanted on warrants
Calgary police are looking for a woman and three teenagers who face human trafficking charges after a woman reported being held against her will and forced to have sex with strangers for five days in a southwest apartment.
The victim escaped from the apartment and ran into a store in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue S.W. last Wednesday. There, she told staff she'd been forcibly confined across the street for five days and repeatedly sexually assaulted, according to a Calgary Police Service release.
Police believe the victim met one of the suspects in the lobby of the apartment building, where she was taken upstairs and assaulted.
It's alleged that over the course of the next five days, the suspects pimped out the victim to more than 10 men, forcing her to "perform sexual acts."
The victim is "doing very well" and has been offered services through the police force, according to Det. Scott Mizibrocky with the sex crimes unit.
"The store's employees were very helpful to the victim," said Mizibrocky.
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Two underage suspects were arrested immediately but released without being charged pending further investigation. Investigators then identified two more suspects — one adult and one minor. All four are now being sought in the human trafficking investigation led by the sex crimes unit.
Warrants have been issued for Jessica Nyome Louise Vinje, 29, and three teenagers — one female and two males, none of whom who can be identified in order to comply with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Vinje faces charges of human trafficking, sexual assault, unlawful confinement, voyeurism and assault.
She is described at five foot four and 150 pounds, with a medium build, red and purple hair and brown eyes.
Vinje has distinctive tattoos including "MOB" on her left hand, "STACY" on her left shoulder and "AR DL" with a star on her chest.
The teens also face charges of human trafficking, sexual assault, unlawful confinement and voyeurism, among others.
Police can't release the teens' identities which "definitely adds to the degree of difficulty," according to Mizibrocky, but he says his unit is used to those types of hurdles.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them.