NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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Police have arrested an individual for human trafficking and child sexual abuse material offences.
The investigation, named Project Shrewsbury, began in August 2024, when members from Greater Sudbury Police and Kingston Police received information of a male recruiting and transporting two young females from their jurisdictions for the purpose of sex trafficking.
Due to the human trafficking element, the investigation was coordinated through the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) led Provincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS). Peel Regional Police became involved when it was identified that the offences against the females took place in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
On Nov. 20, 2024, members of the OPP arrested 37-year-old Sheldon Lester Saunders of Scarborough and have charged him with the following Criminal Code offences:
- Assault Causing Bodily Harm, as per section 267(c)
- Advertising Sexual Services, as per section 286.4
- Procuring under 18 years, as per section 286.3(2)
- Material Benefit Resulting from Trafficking in Persons, as per section 279.02(2)
- Material Benefit from Sexual Services Received from Person under 18 years, as per section 286.2(2)
- Traffic in Persons under 18 years of age, as per section 279.011
- Disobey Court Order, as per section 127
- Makes, Prints or Publishes any Child Pornography, as per section 163.1(2)
- Possession of Child Pornography, as per section 163.1(4)
- Imports, Distributes or Sells any Child Pornography, as per section 163.1(3)
- Assault, as per section 266
The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear on Dec. 16, 2024 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.
The victims were taken to places of safety and provided support services. Police believe there may be additional victims and ask that anyone who has information come forward to their local police. A video related to the case is located here.
Additional support was provided by the OPP Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement Squad and IJFS members from Toronto Police Service, York Regional Police and Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac.
The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking has resources available for victims and survivors of human trafficking on their website. A national hotline is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010.
ABOUT THE IJFS
On March 6, 2020, the Government of Ontario announced funding to establish the IJFS, consisting of full-time investigators and analysts who are assigned to participating police agencies across Ontario, including municipal and First Nations, along with additional resources to the OPP. The IJFS assists in identifying, investigating and disrupting multi-jurisdictional human trafficking organizations operating within Ontario.
The 20 participating police agencies include:
- Anishinabek Police Services
- Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service
- Barrie Police Service
- Durham Regional Police Service
- Greater Sudbury Police Service
- Halton Regional Police Service
- Hamilton Police Service
- Kingston Police
- London Police Service
- Niagara Regional Police Service
- Ontario Provincial Police
- Ottawa Police Service
- Peel Regional Police
- Peterborough Police Service
- Six Nations Police Service
- Thunder Bay Police Service
- Toronto Police Service
- Treaty Three Police Service
- Windsor Police Service
- York Regional Police
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