Man charged with human trafficking

A Sudbury man is facing several charges relating to human trafficking after he was arrested in a province-wide initiative called Operation Northern Spotlight on June 17.

Greater Sudbury Police Service charged Douglas Bright, 45, with procuring a prostitute, administering a noxious substance, trafficking in persons, material benefit from trafficking in persons and knowingly advertising an offer to provide sexual services for consideration.

The police service is asking anyone who may have been a victim of similar crimes to report them to police.

During the service’s participation in the initiative, an investigation was conducted by GSPS’s Break, Enter and Robbery Unit and Criminal Investigation Division officers. That investigation involved the execution of two search warrants, one in Sudbury and one in Brampton.

Bright will appear in bail court on the charges on Friday at 10 a.m. in Sudbury.

On June 17 and 18, 2015, as part of Operation Northern Spotlight, members of 18 police services arranged to meet with people suspected of partaking in the sex trade, potentially against their will, at locations across Ontario. During those two days, police charged three people with 54 offences. Police were able to ensure the safety of five females who had been working in the sex trade as minors or against their will, including three 15-year-olds, a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old.

Ninety officers and support staff interviewed 122 people, including 110 women, and offered them information and contacts with community-based support agencies.

Charges against the second accused include trafficking in persons under 18 years, trafficking in persons, financial/material benefit from trafficking in persons under 18, material benefit from sexual services provided by persons under 18, procuring or recruiting persons under 18 to provide sexual services, procuring a person under 18, advertising another person’s sexual services and administering a noxious substance.

Other charges were sexual assault, sexual interference with a person under 16, invitation to sexual touching under 16, printing, publishing or possessing to publish child pornography, importing, selling or distributing child pornography and unlawfully possessing child pornography.

During the initiative, a participating police service conducted an intelligence probe with a female in their jurisdiction for a possible intervention. Officers spoke with the female, who was in the company of a male. Investigation revealed the male was in possession of a loaded firearm and drugs. He was also wanted on an outstanding first-degree murder warrant.

That man was charged with first-degree murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, occupant knowing about a firearm, having a prohibited firearm with ammunition in a motor vehicle, careless use of a firearm, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a Schedule II substance and possession of the proceeds of crime.

As well as Greater Sudbury Police, the following services participated in phase 3 of Operation Northern Spotlight — Toronto Police Service, Durham Region Police Service, Guelph Police Service, Waterloo Regional Police Service, Woodstock Police Service, North Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Police Service, Barrie Police Service, Peel Regional Police, Saugeen Shores Police Service, Sarnia Police Services, Stratford Police Service, Windsor Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, OPP, Hamilton Police Service, Halton Regional Police Service and the RCMP.