Lloydminster trafficking investigation reaches Taiwan as RCMP warm of rising sex-trade activity

“It could be something where someone has shared out something, and now they’re being extorted, or that’s going to be distributed on online social media,” he said.

“We’re seeing a number of those things, as well as social media generally being used for arranging meetings or things like that.”

Nutbrown said many of the investigations involving sexual offences are not random attacks, but instead involve ongoing grooming or manipulation.

Some investigations have also extended beyond local jurisdictions.

Nutbrown said money connected to one trafficking investigation was traced to Taiwan.

“So we start getting international,” he said. “That’s way beyond what we can do.”

Coun. Michele Charles Gustafson said the hidden nature of trafficking and exploitation means many residents may not realize it is happening around them.

“I wonder if there’s maybe an encouragement to the community in order to close that gap, to encourage people to report what they see as a starting point,” she said.

“If someone’s in the organization, they probably don’t have a lot of resources or agency to be able to advocate for themselves.”

Nutbrown said public tips have already helped police uncover cases that were not previously on investigators’ radar.

“We found that we did a little bit of what we do, and we ended up with charges on some of that, strictly because of the people that are watching, going, ‘That doesn’t seem right.’”

He encouraged residents to trust their instincts and report suspicious activity.

“Even if it’s like something that doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t,” Nutbrown said.

“People have got that instinct, and I’d say, go with it.”

The trafficking discussion came as RCMP also updated council on broader crime trends in the city, including overdoses, retail theft and open drug use connected to addictions in the downtown core.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

Lloydminster trafficking investigation reaches Taiwan as RCMP warm of rising sex-trade activity

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