Charges have been laid against a London man who police believe trafficked, sexually assaulted, and held a woman against her will.
Police launched a human trafficking investigation in early February after being contacted by a woman about the abuse.
Investigators determined the woman had been contacted last July by a man who was interested in obtaining sexual services she was advertising online. The pair then met at an agreed upon location. Soon after the encounter, the man befriended the woman and invited her to stay at his home. After she moved in, the man allegedly isolated the woman from friends and family, took control of her money, and began selling the woman's sexual services to other men, police said.
The man is also accused of renting a room in a south London hotel last December and demanding the woman provide sexual services that she had not agreed to. When she refused, the man reportedly sexually assaulted her and left the room.
Police arrested a suspect in the case on Wednesday morning.
A 39-year-old man from London is charged with half a dozen offences, including sexual assault, forcible confinement, obtaining sexual services for consideration, material benefit from sexual services, exercising control, and criminal harassment by repeated communication. He was scheduled to appear in court in relation to the charges on Thursday.
Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to call them at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
