On Sunday, August 7, 2016, members of the Toronto Police Service Human Trafficking Enforcement Team, along with members of 41 Division, started a Human Trafficking investigation.
It is alleged that:
- a man convinced a 21-year-old woman to have sex for money
- the man made the woman provide sexual services, and forced various illicit narcotics on the woman to maintain control of her
- the woman attempted to avoid the controlled substances
- the man then threatened to inject her with the substances
- the woman did not want to work in the sex industry
- the man assaulted the woman and threatened her
- the man threatened members of her family in an attempt to maintain control and continue the sexual exploitation
It is further alleged that:
- on Monday, August 15, 2016, the Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes Human Trafficking Enforcement Team, with the assistance of the TPS Fugitive Squad and 41 Division Community Safety Unit, located the man
- shortly thereafter, with the assistance of Peel Regional Police Tactical Unit, a Criminal Code search warrant was executed
Matthew Maxwell, 26, of no fixed address, was arrested. He has been charged with:
1) Trafficking In Persons by Recruiting
2) Procuring
3) Exercise Control
4) Material Benefit from Sexual Services
5) Financial/Material Benefit/Trafficking Person Over 18
6) Assault
7) Choking Overcome Resistance to Offence/Render Unconscious
8) Assault with a Weapon or Imitation Weapon
9) Forcible Confinement
10) Extortion
11) two counts of Uttering Threats/Death or Bodily Harm
12) Uttering Threats/Death or Bodily Harm
13) Assault with a Weapon or Imitation Weapon
14) five counts of Fail to comply with Recognizance
15) Uttering Threats/Death or Bodily Harm
He was scheduled to appear in court at 1911 Eglinton Avenue East on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, 10 a.m.
Police are concerned there may be other victims.
Police would like to encourage all affected individuals to come forward and report Human Trafficking occurrences to police. We want to make sure that everyone has access to support services and an exit strategy, regardless of their decision to proceed criminally.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes Human Trafficking Enforcement Team, at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at
www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or
Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.
Human Trafficking means every person who recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation, for a sexual purpose or a forced labour purpose. Victims can be men, women or children; can be Canadian citizens; and can be moved across local, provincial or national borders. They can be coerced through violence or the threat of violence against family and friends. The Human Trafficking Enforcement Team of Sex Crimes is dedicated to investigating these crimes against vulnerable members of society. For more information, please visit the Sex Crimes website.
A sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact. It includes, but is not limited to, kissing, grabbing, oral sex and penetration. To learn more about sexual assault, including how to report a sexual assault, please visit our
Sex Crimes website.
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