Female hit by vehicle leads police to lay human trafficking charges

Police described a scene earlier this month where a female was intentionally hit by a vehicle, in a press release.

This led officers to uncover a human trafficking situation where one man is facing a list of charges, a few weeks later.

It started in the morning on June 6, when police were called to the downtown core for reports of a female being struck by a vehicle. It happened just after 6:00 a.m. in the area of Laurier Avenue West near Metcalfe Street. Officials said there was an altercation and/or a collision around this time. They are still looking for witnesses to this incident.

However, the situation led police to lay human trafficking charges against Marc Jean-Pierre of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, a neighbourhood in Montreal.

The offences the accused faces include:

• Aggravated assault
• Trafficking in persons by exercising control
• Material benefit resulting from trafficking in persons
• Material benefit from sexual services
• Advertising another person’s sexual services
• Procuring
• Assault by choking, suffocating or strangling
• Failure to stop after accident
• Robbery
• Operation causing bodily harm
• Assault
• Withhold/destroy travel document

Investigators believe there are other victims of human trafficking linked to this case. The accused is alleged to have used the aliases of “Mike” and “Marcus.” It’s also the reason police chose to release Jean-Pierre’s photo.

“The Human Trafficking Unit will respect victims’ wishes regarding whether to pursue criminal charges, and regardless, can offer resources to support survivors of human trafficking,” police said. “Reporting these incidents by victims to police is key for investigators to identify suspects and determine crime trends.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing human trafficking or exploitation, you can call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010 — available 24/7/365 and in over 200 languages.