Woman admits sex trafficking 2 girls in southeast N.B.

A 19-year-old woman has admitted to sex trafficking charges involving two underage girls in the Moncton area.

Her name can't be reported because of a publication ban imposed when she pleaded guilty to five charges on Feb. 10.

The ban was imposed under a section of the Criminal Code about protecting "a justice system participant" in a case involving a criminal organization.

The woman admitted trafficking the girls by recruiting and controlling their movement, advertising sexual services, and receiving a financial or other benefit from the commission of a crime in early April 2024.

Crown prosecutor Marc-André Desjardins read an agreed statement of facts during the Feb. 10 appearance that detailed what the woman admits about the operation.

Paid to bring girls to Moncton

Court documents use the initials A.B. and C.D. for the two girls, which are not their actual initials. A publication ban restricts reporting their names.

The prosecutor said the woman had the girls, aged 15 and 16, send her sexual photos of themselves and then paid for their travel to Moncton. 

Once in Moncton on April 8, 2024, the woman took explicit photos of the two and used the photos to post ads on a website listing sexual services and prices. 

Desjardins said about 15 men met the two girls at an apartment in Dieppe between April 9 and April 16 last year.

Cab driver called police

Police became involved on April 12, when a cab driver dropped A.B. off at a Moncton address and then called Codiac Regional RCMP concerned about her wellbeing. 

Police spoke to A.B., but she claimed everything was OK and that her family knew where she was. Officers assumed she was unharmed and left.

However, a police force in another province then called the RCMP to say A.B. was a sex trade victim. 

On April 14, police found A.B. at an apartment in Dieppe, where the 19-year-old was present. She tried to keep police from talking to A.B.

A second girl was also spotted by police in the apartment. 

A.B. was detained by police but didn't divulge any information. 

Police return to apartment

The following day, police found the ads listing sexual services showing explicit photos of A.B. classified as child porn.

On April 16, a police force in the girls' home province contacted RCMP to say a second girl, C.D., was missing in circumstances similar to A.B. 

That same day, police responded to a 911 call about a dispute at the Dieppe apartment. 

"It was believed there was a disagreement between a man and a group of women over money and services," Desjardins said.

Officers entered the apartment and in a statement, C.D. said she had at least 10 clients. She told police about not wanting to have sex, but the 19-year-old told her to do it.

Sentencing later this month

C.D. told police she didn't have control of the ads with her photos listing sexual services, and the money the clients paid her was handed over to the 19-year-old woman.

"C.D. was never explicitly threatened or assaulted by [the woman], but C.D. felt she had no choice but to provide the service as she was living with [the woman] and did not have financial capacity … and did not know how to book transportation back" home.

In August last year, police met A.B. and C.D. in their home community. The girls said the woman would book their clients and wouldn't show them the messages with the clients.

After the prosecutor finished reading the agreed facts, the woman agreed that's what happened and confirmed her guilty plea to the five charges. 

The woman is scheduled to be sentenced March 20.