'Choices have been taken away': Kingston Police Board learns more about local human trafficking
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A presentation to the Kingston Police Services Board on Thursday demonstrated that human trafficking continues to occur locally, and education and increased self-esteem are likely the keys to stopping it.
“We’re in a geographic position where Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are all very close, they have different cultures and different crimes, but they’re bigger hubs and they do have human trafficking,” Det. Const. Jesse Braun of the Kingston Police and member of the Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy, explained to the board.
“Local girls, but not typically local pimps.”
Braun, alongside Lana Saunders, anti-human trafficking crisis worker with Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac, explained that the world of human trafficking has evolved alongside the internet and social media. They said that all but one of the cases they have worked this year have started with a pimp contacting a victim through social media and payments are more commonly being made using cryptocurrency.
Of all the charges laid in 2022 involving locally recruited victims, only one pimp has been local.
In April, members of the joint forces strategy arrested Michael Haaima on a number human trafficking-related charges. As of July 19, Haaima is facing 77 charges in relation to 19 alleged victims. None of the charges have been proven in court, and Haaima remains in custody.
Police alleged in their news release about the arrest that Haaima also lured his victims through social media.
Using statistics from Statistics Canada, Saunders explained that 97 per cent of victims are female most are between 18-24 years old, with the second largest group being in their teens.
Saunders explained that she is not an investigator, she works one-on-one with victims including those who have not yet disclosed their trauma to police.
“We’re seeing (victims) younger and younger, every year, for sure,” Saunders said.
In her experience, most of the victims are youth who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Some have mental health concerns, and many have substance dependencies. Many also come from homes that have been settings of violence and sexual abuse.
“Low self-esteem and self-worth are common, pretty much across the board,” Saunders said. “That is a key vulnerably that I see.”
Braun told the board 81 per cent of pimps are men and the vast majority of pimps groom their victims into falling in love with them.
Saunders said that in the beginning, the pimp will do anything for the victim. They give them money, they go on trips, they find out what is bothering the victim and they do everything they can to solve the problem, she said.
“What does this girl need, what does she want? Then he tries his very best to fulfill that need to establish control,” Saunders told the board. “Those needs could be love and acceptance, a lot of these victims are youth, they’re coming of age, they’re testing the waters, they want to have independence, they’re looking for a good time, fun. … To live life as they choose.
“A trafficker will hone in on that and they will give them those opportunities.”
Because of technology, many of those at the top of the human trafficking rings are in different cities, sometimes other provinces. During a recent arrest out of province, Braun said he was exploiting victims on the other side of the country. Saunders said “Romeo pimps” will “love bomb” their victims to establish that control and then use that love to convince her to buy into the idea of sex work.
“A lot of my victims, clients I work with, they don’t even identify as a victim initially,” Saunders said. “This manipulation coercion, seduction, it’s so low-key that they don’t even see the process of this grooming and luring.”
Braun explained that the website most heavily used by human traffickers to list their victims’ services is called Leo’s List, Braun said when he comes into work every day, there are usually 50 local ads on the site. By the time they are able to investigate them, the ads have already received a thousand views.
Both Braun and Saunders agreed that early education is key to trying to prevent further human trafficking victims.
“We do a lot of outreach in Kingston, our hotel industry is amazing, the education of our youth, reaching out to youth who aren’t in the typical high school setting, like OneRoof,” Braun said. “I think we’re doing a good job there and I think that’s got to continue to succeed in our endeavours.”
Saunders explained that human trafficking is different from prostitution because the victims have no say in the exchange.
“These girls are being forced, coerced, manipulated, deceived into the exploitation and the sex trafficking. This is completely different than somebody who is entering into sex work by choice, and by choice,” Saunders said. “The choices are being taken away from these girls who are being trafficked. They don’t choose their clients, they don’t get to choose the hours they work, they don’t get to choose whom they are servicing, where they are servicing their clients, and what services they are providing.
“Those choices have been taken away.”
The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010. Human trafficking resources are also available at canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca. Kingston Police are also available at 613-549-4660. Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac can be reach by calling 613-548-4838, or online at www.victimserviceskingston.ca.
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