Quebec man facing human trafficking charges in Ottawa
Ottawa police say Marc Jean-Pierre, of Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que., is facing several charges related to human trafficking in Ottawa. He is alleged to have used aliases such as "Mike" and "Marcus". (Ottawa Police Service/handout)
The Ottawa Police Service says a Montreal-area man is facing several serious charges in connection with a human trafficking investigation in the city.
Police say the investigation began June 6, when a woman was intentionally struck by a driver in the downtown core. It happened at around 4 a.m. in the Laurier Avenue West area near Metcalfe Street. Ottawa paramedics said at the time the woman was dragged a short distance and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
As a result of the investigation, Ottawa police say Marc Jean-Pierre, of Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que. is charged with aggravated assault, trafficking in persons by exercising control, material benefit resulting from trafficking in persons, material benefit from sexual services, advertising another person's sexual services, procuring, assault by choking, suffocating or strangling, failure to stop after an accident, robbery, operation causing bodily harm, assault, and withholding or destroying a travel document.
'Investigators believe there may be other victims of human trafficking related to this investigation. In addition, police are seeking witnesses who may have information regarding the altercation and/or collision that occurred in the early morning hours of June 6 in the Laurier Avenue West area near Metcalfe Street,' Ottawa police said in a news release Monday.
Police say Jean-Pierre allegedly used aliases such as 'Mike' and 'Marcus.' Police released a photo of the accused because investigators believe there could be additional victims.
'The Human Trafficking Unit will respect victims' wishes regarding whether to pursue criminal charges, and regardless, can offer resources to support survivors of human trafficking. Reporting these incidents by victims to police is key for investigators to identify suspects and determine crime trends,' police said.
Anyone with information regarding incidents involving this individual is asked to call the Ottawa Police Service Human Trafficking Unit tip line at 613-236-1222 ext. 5625 or email mcm@ottawapolice.ca.
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppers.ca.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
19 minutes ago
- CTV News
Ministry of Labour charges CMHA following 2023 stabbing at Sudbury shelter
Ontario's Ministry of Labour has charged the CMHA in Sudbury in connection with a triple stabbing at its offices downtown in 2023.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Family challenges 84-year-old B.C. woman's will after $1M left to ‘male escort'
The closest living relatives of an 84-year-old B.C. widow who left her $1 million estate to a much-younger 'professional companion and male escort' have been given the go-ahead to challenge the will, according to a recently published court ruling. Janet Henry executed her final will and testament in August of 2021, three months before she died, leaving the 'bulk of her estate' to a man named Simon Garstin, the court heard. Jillian and Ross Sutherland McCrone, Henry's niece and nephew, are seeking to have the will overturned, which would open the door for them to potentially inherit the money. 'The thrust of the plaintiffs' claim is that the deceased was subjected to undue influence by Mr. Garstin,' a decision handed down in B.C. Supreme Court on June 12 explained. 'A presumption of undue influence is established when the nature of the relationship between the parties demonstrates the potential for domination. To rebut the presumption, (the deceased) must be shown to have prepared his or her will of his or her own full, free and informed thought.' The decision explained that Henry had no children and her husband died 17 years before she did. 'Following her husband's death, the deceased apparently enjoyed retaining and paying for the services of various male escorts for the purpose of companionship and sexual services,' Justice Gary P. Weatherill wrote. Henry and Garstin met online via Skype in February of 2021 and in person for the first time in April, the decision said. Over the next six months, the pair had a number of 'overnight visits,' meeting in-person for the last time when Garstin stayed at Henry's home for three nights in October. 'The sexual and companionship services Mr. Garstin provided were paid for by the deceased at agreed upon prices which were not insignificant,' the decision said. The relatives' notice of civil claim argues that the will should be set aside because Henry was vulnerable and lonely – particularly due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time – and that her relationship with Garstin was a transactional one where he was 'in a position of dominance and control,' according to the decision. Garstin, in his response, argued that the opposite was true. His claim said Henry was an 'independent single woman who enjoyed his company on her terms,' adding that the fact that Henry paid him made him financially dependent on her – meaning 'the deceased was in a position of dominance over him.' The case is set to go to trial at the end of the month, but Garstin was asking the judge to strike the relatives' claim entirely on a number of grounds, including that there was 'no triable issue' and that the niece and nephew's claim was 'doomed to fail.' Weatherill found the question of undue influence was one that should be decided at trial, and said some evidence – namely, text messages that disclosed through the discovery process – seemed to support the relatives' allegations. 'Undue influence can be established through circumstantial evidence upon which inferences can be drawn. Inferences can be drawn from such things as the approximate 54-year difference in the ages between Mr. Garstin and the deceased,' he wrote. 'The text messages in evidence arguably suggest that the deceased and Mr. Garstin had more than a casual sexual relationship and the deceased may have been influenced by him. Those issues will need to be determined on the merits after fulsome evidence and cross-examination,' the judge concluded.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
New city crews tackle many little jobs in Winnipeg neighbourhoods
The City of Winnipeg launched neighbourhood action teams to fix a broad range of issues in one area. They will rotate through all wards in the city between now and October.
