3 arrested in youth sex trafficking investigation in Niagara region

The Niagara Regional Police Service detachment in 1 District located in St. Catharines, Ont., Friday, March 15, 2024. (Aaron Lynett/The Canadian Press)

Niagara police have arrested three people in connection with an investigation into youth sex trafficking in the region that the chief of police called “predatory and deeply harmful.”

In a release on Wednesday, Niagara police said their Human Trafficking Unit launched an investigation focusing on the demand for “commercialized sexual services from youth” in the region.

As a result of the investigation, three males were arrested and charged.

They said on Dec. 2, Gurpreet Singh, 33, of Niagara Falls was arrested and is facing charged including luring a child via telecommunications for the purpose of obtaining sexual services for consideration under 18 years and obtaining sexual services for consideration from a person under 18 years.

Mehdi Budak, 22, of Niagara Falls was also arrested on Dec. 2 and is facing the same charges as Singh.

A third male, a 36-year-old from St. Catharines, whose name cannot be released due to a judicial publication ban, was arrested on Dec. 1 and charged with the same offences as Singh and Budak.

All three men were held in custody pending their bail hearings.

“These arrests reflect the unwavering commitment of our members to protecting those who are most vulnerable to exploitation,” Niagara Regional Police Service Chief Bill Fordy said in the release. “Human trafficking is a predatory and deeply harmful crime, and these results send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in our community.”

“We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to disrupt this crime and safeguard those at risk in our community,” his statement continued.

Anyone who wishes to provide police with information about alleged human or sex trafficking can anonymously contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara.