National

B.C. woman faces multiple charges for under-18 sex trafficking, say Langley RCMP

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Dec, 2023 11:37 AM

Police in British Columbia say a woman faces more than a dozen charges related to an alleged human trafficking scheme involving sexual exploitation of people under 18.

Langley RCMP say Jennifer Lynn Stephens faces 14 criminal charges for her alleged role in a human trafficking and pimping operation, including forcible confinement, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and benefiting and advertising sexual services.

Police say they were called to a gas station in Langley in early March 2023 where they found a "distressed adult female," and an investigation led them to a hotel nearby before Stephens was first charged with assault.

They say she failed to appear in court in July, leading to a Canada-wide warrant for her arrest.

Police say they arrested Stephens on Dec. 7 after a complex investigation involving multiple agencies including Surrey RCMP, Vancouver police, and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.

Insp. Erica Moir with Langley RCMP says charges of human trafficking are rarely laid in Canada because of the "often-hidden nature" of the operations, and Stephens' case allegedly involved victims "trafficked for sexual exploitation."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

China leaves Canada off list of countries approved for group tours

China has lifted a pandemic ban on group tours to several countries, including the United States and Australia, but tourists are still be barred from group visits to Canada. The change announced by China's culture and tourism ministry last week allows Chinese and online travel agencies to book group tours and packages for Chinese tourists in 70 more countries all over the world.

China leaves Canada off list of countries approved for group tours

Winds, heat and lightning trigger concern as two British Columbia wildfires surge

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has issued an evacuation order for the area southwest of Keremeos affected by two wildfires that have been burning for several weeks. Thirteen properties have been ordered evacuated along the Ashnola River and in the Snowy Protected area of Cathedral Provincial Park, including Cathedral Lakes Lodge.

Winds, heat and lightning trigger concern as two British Columbia wildfires surge

Housing crisis: Feds stick by immigration plan, rethink international student flows

Academics, commerical banks and policy thinkers have all been warning the federal government that the pace of population growth, facilitated by immigration, is making the housing crisis worse. Canada is also experiencing a boom in the number of temporary residents who are coming to the country, which includes international students and temporary foreign workers.

Housing crisis: Feds stick by immigration plan, rethink international student flows

Fall in housing starts: CMHC

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports the annual pace of urban starts was down 11 per cent, the rate of multi-unit urban starts fell 12 per cent and the pace of single-detached urban starts dropped four per cent.

Fall in housing starts: CMHC

Kids overdosing is a public health emergency, Canadian pediatricians say

A new survey says an alarming number of kids age 12 and older have been treated for drug overdoses in Canada. The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program says stimulants are the most commonly reported cause of severe or life-threatening overdoses, followed by sedatives and opioids.

Kids overdosing is a public health emergency, Canadian pediatricians say

Drowned Surrey man's body found

Mounties in Chilliwack say they have found the body of a Surrey man who was thought to have drowned in Cultus Lake last month. R-C-M-P say the discovery was made by its Underwater Recovery Team after about a month of searching.