A trial began this week in Cayuga for four Caledonia residents who are facing charges of trafficking and controlling a teenager while benefiting from her sex work.
Crown lawyer Susan Orlando, from Ontario’s human trafficking prosecution team, outlined the case she expects to present against Daniel Campbell, 36, Joshua Hillock, 32, Dragisa Lucic, 30, and Crystal-Anne Marier, 36, who have all pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including human trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking. They were charged in January 2020.
Orlando said the victim, who was born and raised in Brantford, was drawn into a romantic relationship with Campbell, without knowing he was in a relationship with Marier.
On the day the victim turned 18, her boyfriend’s drug dealer took her to lunch and introduced her to several friends, court was told.
“They all discussed how they could work together.”
They talked about taking photos and arranging bookings, said Orlando, noting that the victim mistakenly thought they were discussing modeling and not the sex trade.
In September 2019, at an upscale Cambridge hotel, the victim was given crack cocaine and lingerie by Campbell, while Lucic took photos of her, court heard. The photos were used for online ads for sexual services.
After being left alone in the hotel for the night, the woman was told that men would arrive and she should “treat them like she would a boyfriend,” said Orlando.
She said the victim was unable to leave the room without permission and was seeing eight to 10 clients a day, seven days a week — unless she was menstruating.
Aside from some tips, the young woman turned over all the money she received to the group, Orlando said. She was told the money was being saved to buy a house for them all to share and to take a trip to Paris, France.
Court was told Hillock was to be the primary driver for the victim, transporting her to multiple hotels in various cities around Southern Ontario.
After several weeks, Campbell, who had had been giving the victim crack cocaine and methamphetamine each day, began to withhold the drugs, court was told. When the victim tried to access Campbell’s drugs, she was struck and threatened to be hit with a gun.
Orlando said Campbell made the victim provide her telephone passwords and he installed an app on her phone that would let him lock her out if she misbehaved. He also set up a secret camera in at least one hotel room to record sex sessions. A video of one the sessions will be presented as evidence.
Court was told the victim moved away from the group after complaining that her “insides were killing her” from work, that Campbell was involved with Marier and that she was referred to as “the dog” in group text messages.
In early 2020, Campbell drew the victim back, telling her things would be different, said Orlando.
She said Campbell dropped off the young woman at a motel in Guelph and new online ads were posted. But, that night, the woman called police, who removed her from the motel.
On Wednesday, the trial heard from police officers who participated in a search warrant at large new house in Caledonia that was filled with new furniture, exercise equipment, cellphones, electronic memory devices, drugs and several airsoft guns and ammunition. One gun was later qualified as an illegal weapon.
Carly Creor, 27, was also charged with human trafficking in the case but her charges will proceed separately.
@EXPSGamble