April 5, 2023 at 8:58 am
A Chatham man arrested in a human trafficking investigation more than two years ago has pleaded guilty.
Chatham-Kent police said the 36-year-old pleaded guilty last week to a number of charges including human trafficking, obtaining material advantage from human trafficking, battery causing bodily harm, breach of court order, obstructing police, violating a release order.
He has been in custody since his arrest in December 2020 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Police began investigating the case shortly after 4:00 a.m. on December 17 following reports of a disturbance at a motel in Chatham
Officers arrested the man and initially charged him with domestic and drug-related offenses.
After further investigation, the victim told police the man had been exploiting her – which led to the man being charged with additional human trafficking charges.
At the time, Chief Gary Conn called human trafficking a “sophisticated and hidden crime,” adding that it was a “human rights violation that causes severe and long-term trauma to survivors.”
If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, contact CK Victim Services at 519-436-6630 or https://ckvictimservices.com/.