Human Trafficking Arrest

On Wednesday January 27, 2016 at around 4:00 p.m. members of the Brantford Police Service Community Patrol Section attended a local hotel to assist a 25 year old woman. The Patrol Officers identified that the woman was a potential victim of human trafficking and was being forced into the sex trade.

The Uniform Officers located the accused in a vehicle close to the hotel and placed him under arrest for human trafficking related offences.

Members of the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit (CASA) and Major Crime Unit continued the investigation. Detectives learned that a few days ago the victim had been randomly approached by the accused in a vehicle while she walking on a street in Hamilton. The victim accepted a ride from the accused and was taken to a home in Hamilton. The victim was isolated and made to feel that she could not leave the home.

On January 27, 2016 the accused drove the victim to a Brantford hotel to begin work within the sex trade as an escort.

The victim found an opportunity to get help and police contacted before any sexual acts could took place.

DAHN, Melvin, Recuss, 30 yrs of age from Brantford has been charged with;

Procuring: Section 286.3(1) Criminal Code of Canada

Trafficking in Persons: Section 279.01(1) Criminal Code of Canada

*Withholding Documents: Section 279.03(1) Criminal Code of Canada

The accused is held for a bail hearing.

Citizens would be surprised that most human trafficking victims are Canadian. The victims in this modern form of slavery are mostly young woman. They are being lured and groomed into false hopes and fantasy worlds by traffickers. In the world of human trafficking vulnerable young women are isolated and trapped by forms of psychological intimidation. Victims are made to feel there is no way out with fears of possible violence.

If you are a victim or believe you may know of a victim please contact the Brantford Police Service CASA Unit at 519-756-7050.

Call 9-1-1 emergency if anyone is in immediate danger or in an emergency situation.

Anyone needing victim services can call Brantford Victim Services at 519-752-3140 http://victimservicesbrant.on.ca/

Human Trafficking is defined as recruiting, transporting, transferring, receiving, holding, concealing or harbouring a person, or exercising control direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purposes of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation.

Procuring is defined as procuring a person to offer or provide sexual services for consideration or for the purposes of facilitating the purchasing offence, recruiting, holding, concealing or harbouring a person who offers or provides sexual services for consideration or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of that person.

The documents offence is concealing, removing, withholding or destroying travel or identity documents for the purpose of facilitating a human trafficking offence.

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