Four Windsor-Essex men arrested in underage prostitution operation

Windsor police cruiser at headquarters in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Melanie Kentner/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor police and OPP say they have arrested four men during an undercover operation targeting men seeking sex with underage girls.

Last month, members of the WPS Morality Unit and OPP Intelligence-Led Joint Forces Strategy Anti Human Trafficking Unit teamed up to conduct an undercover prostitution operation in Windsor.

“Protecting our children from exploitation is of paramount importance,” said Windsor Police Inspector David DeLuca. “Through this joint operation, we successfully targeted individuals who not only solicited youth online but were prepared to move forward and commit those acts.”

The officers used a popular website to communicate with suspects allegedly attempting to offer money to an underage girl in exchange for sexual acts.

In online conversations, police say the suspects negotiated a specific price with an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old girl and then agreed to meet at a location to engage in sexual activities. Police say when the suspects arrived at the designated meeting spot, they were promptly arrested by police.

The following individuals have each been charged with obtaining sexual services from a person under 18 years of age:

- Wissam Charaf, 28, of Windsor

- Stephen Merner, 59, no fixed address

- James Pernal, 46, of Essex

- Jianwen Yang, 61, of Windsor

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Windsor Police Morality Unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4343. They can also submit tips anonymously to Windsor & Essex County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.catchcrooks.com.