Human Trafficking Investigation,
Woman arrested

Broadcast time: 14:45
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Unit: Sex Crimes
Phone: 416-808-7474
Case #: 2019-2008312


In November 2019, members of the Toronto Police Service’s Human Trafficking Team started an investigation into the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl.

It is alleged that:

- a woman advertised online the sexual services of a girl

- over the course of four days the woman demanded, through violence and coercion, the girl provide sexual services to several men

- the girl was forced to turn over money provided for the sexual services to the woman

On November 14, 2019, Aerial Lawrence, 20, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with:

1. Procuring
2. Administer Noxious Substance
3. Trafficking in Persons Under 18 years
4. Make/Publish Child Pornography
5. Advertise Sexual Services
6. Material/Financial Benefit Under 18 years

She is scheduled to appear in court, on Friday, June 12, 2020, at Old City Hall, in room 112.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes or Google Play.


Police would also urge anyone who has been a victim of Human Trafficking to come forward to police. We want to make sure that everyone has access to support services and an exit strategy, regardless of their decision to proceed criminally.

Human Trafficking means every person who recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation, for a sexual purpose or a forced labour purpose. Victims can be men, women or children; can be Canadian citizens; and can be moved across local, provincial or national borders. They can be coerced through violence or the threat of violence against family and friends. The Human Trafficking Enforcement Team of Sex Crimes is dedicated to investigating these crimes against vulnerable members of society. For more information, please visit the Sex Crimes website.



For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

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Meaghan Gray, Corporate Communications, for Detective Sergeant David Correa, Sex Crimes - Human Trafficking Team