Edmonton police have laid multiple human trafficking and prostitution-related charges against three men in two separate cases involving teenage girls, including a case where police say a victim was introduced to her alleged assailants by another teen girl.
In the first case, police say a 25-year-old man helped to lure a teen girl to Edmonton from Saskatoon in July 2012.
Once she arrived in Edmonton, the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted, beaten and forced in prostitution, police say.
The girl was eventually able to escape from a motel room where she was being held against her will.
She later returned to Saskatoon, but police believe there may be more victims in connection to this case.
Ali Saghafi was arrested on Dec. 20 and charged with numerous offences, including trafficking of a person under the age of 18, procuring prostitution and living off the avails of juvenile prostitution.
In a more recent case, police allege an 18-year-old woman was held in a west Edmonton motel room and forced into prostitution by two men.
Police allege the victim in this case was introduced to the suspects by a 16-year-old girl.
“We've always created that scare about stranger danger,..we never really messaged kids to kids… and the predators among kids,” said Scott Pattison, spokesman with the Edmonton Police Service,
Hamid Fazil Ghejlou, 31, and Shahin Ranjbar, 23, each face a number of charges related to prostitution and human trafficking
With files from CTV Edmonton
