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What Is Sexual Exploitation

Sexual exploitation involves someone under the age of 18 exchanging a sexual act for something in return. A sexual act can be exchanged for money, food, shelter, protection, love, acceptance, popularity, and anything else.


Some forms of sexual exploitation:

> pressure to send naked images

> pressure to engage in sexual acts at parties

> forced prostitution by pimps boyfriending or befriending youth

> sugar daddy/sugar baby relationships

> pressure to engage in sexual acts through online predators 

> selling of sex by girlfriends of gang members


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Quick Facts About Sexual Exploitation

  • Sexual exploitation is the most common form of human trafficking globally
  • 100,000 to 300,000 children and youth in North America are sexually exploited each year
  • The average age someone is sexually exploited in Canada is 12-14 years of age
  • Pimps, who buy and sell people for sex, groom children under the age of 18 by friending or boyfriending them, creating a debt, and forcing them into prostitution
  • Pimps range from 13-34 years of age in Canada
  • 1/3 of sexual offences against children and youth are committed by another youth
  • Over 90% of grooming into  sexual exploitation happens online
  • Child sexual abuse images have increased by 233% in the last 10 years
  • Internet Watch Foundation found that Canada is 3rd globally for hosting child pornography on the internet

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Recent News and Articles

Sexual Exploitation & Human Trafficking (old to new)



Reza Moazami- First human trafficking charge in BC:   https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/moazami-sentenced-to-23-years-for-running-prostitution-ring-1.3312627  


Michael Bannon- Second human trafficking charge in BC:  https://www.vancourier.com/news/court-hears-harrowing-tales-of-youth-prostitution-victims-1.23172424  

 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/victim-says-her-time-with-vancouver-pimp-was-experience-from-hell  


2 charged with human trafficking Windsor Ontario:  https://blackburnnews.com/windsor/windsor-news/2019/05/01/several-human-trafficking-charges-laid-windsor/  


Montreal modelling agency head charged with sexual exploitation:

  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/modelling-agency-owner-sexual-exploitation-b-models-1.5103304

https://globalnews.ca/news/5182246/montreal-police-modelling-agency-arrest/  


Ottawa human trafficking charges 2019:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5122680/ottawa-police-arrests-human-trafficking-investigation/ 


A study from Ontario- student voices on sexual violence:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5122680/ottawa-police-arrests-human-trafficking-investigation/ 


25 year old Toronto pimp sentences to 5 years:

https://www.thewhig.com/news/crime/pimp-gets-five-years-for-trafficking-16-year-old-girl/wcm/c1a0839d-44dc-495e-b22c-44c31acbdef5 


19 year old pimp charged for trafficking underage girl through escorting:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/pickering-man-charged-with-human-trafficking/ar-AAAS8su 


34 trafficking related charges to a male and female pimp aged 24 and 25 in Edmonton:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5263483/edmonton-human-trafficking-investigation/ 


46 year old Canadian predator charged for purchasing a 14 and 15 year old for sex:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/jonathan-pearce-sexual-exploitation-sentence-1.5128360 


24 year old Ontario man wanted for human trafficking:

https://london.ctvnews.ca/man-wanted-on-human-trafficking-charges-involving-minor-1.4427596


Man wanted for human trafficking charges. Found in Victoria BC:

https://www.cheknews.ca/man-wanted-for-human-trafficking-arrested-in-victoria-police-looking-for-potential-victims-561536/ 


Canadian government and  its response to human trafficking- an opinion article:

https://www.thepostmillennial.com/why-is-the-trudeau-government-failing-to-combat-growing-human-trafficking-problem/  


Conservative leader plans to address human trafficking:

 https://ipolitics.ca/2019/05/22/scheer-pledges-stricter-laws-revived-plan-against-human-traffickers/ 

 https://london.ctvnews.ca/scheer-says-conservatives-would-change-criminal-code-to-fight-human-trafficking-1.4432084  


Massage parlors- an experience:

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/should-toronto-allow-more-body-rub-parlours-new-report-suggests-exploring-end-to-decades-old-cap-1.5143534 


Canadian woman arrested for human trafficking:

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-woman-accused-human-trafficking-court-appearance-1.5175756 

 https://globalnews.ca/news/5401226/bail-granted-saskatoon-human-trafficking-charges/  


Teacher charged with sexual exploitation:

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/former-teacher-david-harrison-90-days-sexual-exploitation-1.5191537


First female mayor of Amsterdam making changes to red light district:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5456004/amsterdam-mayor-overhaul-red-light-district/


5 arrested in human trafficking case:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5479753/5-arrested-human-trafficking-investigation-toronto-police/ 


Canadian female human trafficker:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-human-trafficking-jessica-vinje-trial-1.5203890


Jeffrey Epstein charged with human trafficking:

https://ottawasun.com/news/crime/u-s-financier-jeffrey-epstein-charged-with-sex-trafficking-of-underage-girls/wcm/bd9cbad3-506a-4018-a0d3-45d9c818a1c3


Female EA charged with sexual exploitation:

 https://globalnews.ca/news/5712703/karen-bagshaw-peterborough-teaching-assistant-sentencing/


One girl's story of her boyfriend luring her:

https://www.thestar.com/life/2019/08/24/how-teens-are-lured-into-human-trafficking.html 


BC pimp wants to make appeal:

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/convicted-pimp-plans-to-represent-himself-in-appeal-involving-disgraced-cop-1.4569081 


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-thirty-one-people-arrested-in-connection-with-multi-province-human/?fbclid=IwAR1CA7V2jJxrmAoUNJ-TWZocbjppFpDmW_LnB6JJoetWUCx-QMoDbV0RXKI39 sexual exploitation charges:

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg-police-arrest-39-people-on-sexual-exploitation-charges-1.4581513


31 charged in Canada-wide human trafficking sting:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-thirty-one-people-arrested-in-connection-with-multi-province-human/?fbclid=IwAR1CA7V2jJxrmAoUNJ-TWZocbjppFpDmW_LnB6JJoetWUCx-QMoDbV0RXKI


Female human trafficker groomed youth through Snapchat:

https://www.cp24.com/news/woman-facing-list-of-charges-in-human-trafficking-case-1.4712345


Two Surrey men charged with human trafficking:

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/national-news/surrey-men-wanted-human-trafficking-1960380?fbclid=IwAR3wMYYaDbO_8_h1gP9ZRm6aajU17wDWVAVtQsKPyKU64EzWCKXCdHXLj6Q


Human Traffickers from BC charged:

https://vancouversun.com/news/crime/four-vancouver-islanders-charged-with-trafficking-two-young-b-c-girls?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1580435582

https://globalnews.ca/news/6565235/victoria-police-victims-human-trafficking-saskatchewan/ 


20 year old female trafficker:

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/9834487-young-kitchener-woman-pleads-guilty-to-human-trafficking-of-15-year-old-girl/


Vancouver 19 year old human trafficking 16 year old from Surrey:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-human-trafficking-1.5111589?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar&fbclid=IwAR20gODPQgz0nBLm-W16--qQp3OGliDlxuKtNB1QFGasQPglUjZJL6bd5yQ 


Toronto store creates awareness campaign:

https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/02/teen-girls-sale-toronto-storefront-raise-awareness-sex-trafficking/?fbclid=IwAR31f_fhgCdbQ4hxT4DF9L3V6V1BbSHdLph4yplY3pCKYXK3SJaVnXQE75Q


Escapring sex trafficking takes years:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-escaping-sex-trafficking-often-takes-years-new-research-shows/


Human trafficking survivor shares her story:

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/it-was-horrible-human-trafficking-survivor-shares-story-as-rates-soar-in-peel-region-1.4831294 


Child sexual exploittion in Canada:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4047182/child-sexual-exploitation-in-canada-survivors-reveal-terrifying-reality/

Online Exploitation & Apps

An explosion of online child exploitation: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/us/takeaways-child-sex-abuse.html


15 apps parents should watch out for:

https://www.ksdk.com/article/tech/here-are-15-apps-parents-should-look-out-for-on-their-kids-phones/63-f198e876-5341-4d10-8ce6-b41c97fead51?fbclid=IwAR2D4Egq6u95hp80vQP_iUJUq6ZbQg1NTDm1tyAWtcPNyWX9KFKhBlrpps8


Study on effects of sexting:

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/university-of-calgary-sexting-study-1.5178963 


Predators on the app Tik Tok:   

https://www.theepochtimes.com/child-predators-go-unpunished-on-popular-chinese-video-sharing-app-tiktok-report_2870526.html  


The hidden dangers of Roblox:

 https://www.websafety.com/2018/07/the-hidden-dangers-of-roblox-every-parent-should-know-about/ 


Fortnite and predator luring:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4484287/predators-fortnite-lure-children/ 


Child pornography globally:

 https://www.icmec.org/press/new-study-reveals-child-pornography-not-a-crime-in-most-countries/  


8 most dangerous apps for kids:

 https://www.netnanny.com/blog/8-most-dangerous-messaging-apps-for-kids/  


Police warn of 14 dangerous apps:

 https://news3lv.com/news/local/police-warn-parents-of-14-apps-that-could-be-dangerous-for-kids 


Instagram and predators:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/style/instagram-model-predators.html 


Largest child pornography site busted- Canadian man charged: https://www.thepostmillennial.com/largest-child-pornography-website-busted-four-men-sentenced-including-one-ontario-man/ 


Dangerous app shuts down:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kik-shutting-down-after-more-than-1000-child-sexual-abuse-cases/?fbclid=IwAR063IMjVK-Zc5nknCjs1vxNP4BI9m2PNhvsYxWFBvtfuzoI1LDDO_09ZBU


Sexting Continues:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-teens-sharing-nude-images-1.5377305 


Fake job postings for youth:

https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/police-warn-of-questionable-job-offers-to-youth-online 


Live streaming an issue for exploitation:

https://globalnews.ca/news/6567053/tweens-live-streaming-internet-safety/


Dating apps a risk to exploitation:

https://globalnews.ca/news/6485721/dating-apps-us-inquiry-minors-sex-offenders/?fbclid=IwAR12Y8vcEYxrXZGOGLfNxR6M0jfrT_O75CksBevkrPJGFQJ5HWl7x6FeF-Q 


Live-streaming exploitation on the rise:

https://globalnews.ca/news/6567053/tweens-live-streaming-internet-safety/


UN announces more online risk during COVID: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/beware-parents-your-child-may-be-at-risk-of-online-sexual-exploitation-cyberbullying-during-pandemic-lockdown/articleshow/75154179.cms?fbclid=IwAR0WiWHb_tRzd8_BE3jKdloevR56RFR6Nm_l0f7yHOBjEPNDLX4Si61HwUw


Online exploitation increased in Alberta during COVID:

https://globalnews.ca/news/6847825/alberta-child-exploitation-rise-coronavirus/ 


Predators taking advantage during COVID:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sexual-predators-children-online-pandemic-1.5542166