Toronto police charge Barrie residents in connection to human-trafficking probe
Officers recover weapons from Lake Couchiching during investigation
Jul 11, 2019 11:38 AM by: OrilliaMatters Staff
1 / 1 Tapiwa Musara. Photo provided by Toronto Police Service.
Members of the Toronto Police Service Human Trafficking Enforcement Team commenced an investigation into a Human Trafficking occurrence.
It is alleged that:
a woman met a man on an online dating site, and he invited her to a party
once at the party the woman was sexually assaulted by two men
the female victim was then trafficked into the sex trade
she was transported to various hotels in the Greater Toronto Area and throughout Ontario
she turned over all her earnings to the man as she was fearful for her life
the man threatened to kill the victim if she ever left, she was shown firearms as an element of control and intimidation
after a few months, the victim was turned over to the second man who had sexually assaulted her at the party, he continued to traffic her in the sex trade
the first man continued to maintain control over the victim, he directed her to turn over her earnings to his mother
the man's mother accepted money from victim, with full knowledge that all the money received was the result of the victim working for her son in the sex trade
a third man, an associate of the first man, procured the victim to work for him and when his attempt was unsuccessful, he sexually assaulted the victim on two separate occasions
another woman, assisted in the transportation of the victim and disposing of the firearms, which were shown to the victim.
With the assistance of the Toronto Police Service Marine Unit, officers located two firearms and a conducted energy weapon from Lake Couchiching alleged to have been used to maintain control over the victim.
On Friday, May 17, 2019, investigators from the Toronto Police Sex Crimes Human Trafficking Enforcement Team, along with the assistance of members from the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force and Barrie Police Service, executed two Criminal Code search warrants in Barrie.
As a result:
On Friday, May 17, 2019 Tapiwa Musara, 27, of Barrie, was arrested. He has been charged with:
Trafficking in persons by recruiting
Financial/material benefit trafficking in persons
Procuring/exercising control
Material benefit from sexual services
Advertising another person's sexual services
Uttering threats
Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
He was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at Toronto West Courts, at 10 a.m.
On Friday, May 17, 2019, Jacqueline Myers-Ellis, 54, of Barrie, was arrested. She has been charged with:
Obstruct police
She was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at Toronto West Courts, at 10 a.m.
On Friday, May 17, 2019, Anya Browne, 38, of Barrie, was arrested. She has been charged with:
Accessory after the fact
two counts of store firearm carelessly
two counts of possess restricted firearm without holding a licence
two counts of possess restricted firearm knowingly not holding a licence
Possession of weapon dangerous to public peace
Possess firearm with altered serial number
two counts of occupy motor vehicle with firearm
On Saturday, June 22, 2019, Devone Nolan, 30, of Toronto, was arrested. He has been charged with:
Procuring C.C 286.3(1)
two counts of sexual assault
He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, June 27, 2019, at Toronto West Courts, at 10 a.m.
On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, Stephan Myers, 28, of Barrie, was arrested. He has been charged with:
two counts of uttering threats
Unauthorized possession of a firearm
He was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, June 27, 2019, at Toronto West Courts, at 10 a.m.
Police are concerned there may be more victims.
Police would like to encourage all affected individuals to come forward and report Human Trafficking occurrences to police. We want to make sure that everyone has access to support services and an exit strategy, regardless of their decision to proceed criminally.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.
Human Trafficking means every person who recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation, for a sexual purpose or a forced labour purpose. Victims can be men, women or children; can be Canadian citizens; and can be moved across local, provincial or national borders. They can be coerced through violence or the threat of violence against family and friends. The Human Trafficking Enforcement Team of Sex Crimes is dedicated to investigating these crimes against vulnerable members of society. For more information, please visit the Sex Crimes website.
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