A 36-year-old man from Mississauga is accused of trafficking a woman and keeping her earnings, as well as forcing her to take sexualized pictures and distributing them online. In June, Toronto police’s Human Trafficking Unit launched an investigation in Toronto and Mississauga after learning that a female victim had been subject to a “combination of deception, coercion, and control.” On Wednesday, a Criminal Code search warrant was executed at an address in Mississauga. There, officers found and arrested Elijah Benjamin, 36, of Mississauga. He has been charged with assault, theft over $5,000, procuring, advertising another person’s sexual services. trafficking in persons over 18, uttering threats cause death, financial/material benefit/trafficking persons over 18, and material benefit from sexual services. These charges have not been tested in court. The accused was scheduled to appear in bail court that morning. Police believe there could be more victims Police believe there may be more victims and are encouraging anyone who may have been victimized to come forward. This human trafficking investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-4838 or humantrafficking@torontopolice.on.ca, or Crime Stoppers anonymously. If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
