2 teens forced to work in sex trade in Mississauga, Brampton: Ontario police

A Toronto man faces numerous human trafficking, assault and child pornography charges after police say two underage girls were taken from their homes in different parts of Ontario and put to work in the sex trade in Mississauga and Brampton.

Ontario Provincial Police said the multi-jurisdictional investigation, dubbed Project Shrewsbury, began in August when Greater Sudbury Police and Kingston Police received information that a man had recruited and transported two girls under the age of 18 from their homes for the purpose of sex trafficking.

“The two victims were trafficked from the Sudbury and Kingston areas to Mississauga and Brampton and other locations in the Greater Toronto Area,” an OPP spokesperson said in an email to INsauga.com.

OPP took the lead in the investigation “due to the human trafficking element” involved and investigators subsequently determined the alleged offences against the young girls took place in Peel and elsewhere in the GTA.

Peel Regional Police became involved in the investigation at that time.

Police didn’t provide specific ages of the girls.

The investigation was run through an OPP-led Provincial Human Trafficking Joint Forces Strategy group, OPP said in a news release on Wednesday.

An arrest was made by police on Nov. 20.

Police said the two victims “were taken to places of safety and provided support services” after being rescued from the trafficking group.

Sheldon Lester Saunders, 37, of Toronto, is charged with:

• assault causing bodily harm
• assault
• procuring under 18 years of age
• material benefit resulting from trafficking in persons
• material benefit from sexual services received from person under 18 years of age
• traffic in persons under 18 years of age
• advertising sexual services
• makes, prints or publishes any child pornography
• possession of child pornography
• imports, distributes or sells any child pornography
• disobey court order

He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Brampton court on Dec. 16.

Police believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is urged to call OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or the 24/7 hotline at 1-833-900-1010, Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3311 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.