On October 19, 2011 Jamie Byron, the suspected leader of a human trafficking ring, was arrested in Montreal. Mr. Byron along with his associate Ms. Edwards, who had been arrested in Ottawa a month earlier, faced a series of charges under the Criminal Code. It was alleged that these two adults had confined a 17 year old girl at a downtown Ottawa hotel in order to exploit her. Ms. Edwards and Mr. Byron allegedly starved the victim until she agreed to work as a prostitute. Police at the time of the arrest were still looking for other victims.

The counts against Mr. Byron included charges under Criminal Code of (a) living off the avails of prostitution of a person under the age of 18, (b) exercising control over a person for prostitution, (c) keeping a bawdy house, and (d) trafficking a person under the age of 18.

The counts against Ms. Edwards included charges under Criminal Code of (a) living off the avails of prostitution of a person under the age of 18, (b) exercising control over a person for prostitution and (c) a breach of recognizance.

According to 2010 amendments to the law on human trafficking in Canada, both accused face a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking a child, while charges of living off the avails of a minor can carry up to an additional five years of mandatory minimum jail time.

A. Ascah, Youth Trafficking Youth, 24H News Ottawa, 13 September 2011, page 4.

M. Hurley, Suspect sought by Ottawa police in human trafficking ring nabbed in Montreal, The Ottawa Citizen, 21 October 2011.