Third person charged in human trafficking investigation: N.S. RCMP

An RCMP epaulette is seen on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson)

The Nova Scotia RCMP has charged a 38-year-old man from Dartmouth with human trafficking and financial crimes.

He’s the third person arrested in relation to a human trafficking investigation that began in 2023.

The RCMP says its human trafficking unit’s (HTU) investigation involved multiple victims in the province and also identified connections to New Brunswick and Ontario.

Police arrested a man and a woman during a traffic stop near Milford in April in relation to the investigation. Together, 49-year-old Fedul Cain of Porters Lake and 43-year-old Marissa Church of Chester Basin, face 19 charges.

Officers made the third arrest at a residence in Dartmouth on June 3, according to a news release from RCMP.

Coulton Downey, 38, of Dartmouth is charged with:

• trafficking in persons
• material benefit from trafficking
• obtaining sexual services for consideration
• possession of property obtained by crime.

He was released on conditions and his first court appearance is set for June 22 at Dartmouth provincial court.

The investigation is ongoing with support from the Forensic Accounting Management Group.

Financial analysts from the group identified over $500,000 in suspected proceeds of crime funneled through casino activities across three provinces as the investigation progressed.

“Victim safety and reducing the harms caused by human trafficking continue to be a priority for police and communities across Nova Scotia,” said Cpl. Brianna Taker of the HTU, in the news release. “We encourage members of the public to know and understand signs of human trafficking.”

According to RCMP, signs can include:

• needing to regularly check in with someone via phone call or text
• “love bombing,” or receiving expensive gifts for no reason
• withdrawal from family and friends
• not having control over their money or person documents.

Officers with specialized training in human trafficking and sexual violence can be contacted through the Nova Scotia Human Trafficking Hotline, which is monitored 24/7 by a police officer, at 902-449-2425.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page