Corie Langdon

The accused was charged with 14 counts related to human trafficking, procuring, and material benefit involving two young women.

The Crown sought to admit cross-count similar fact evidence, which the court excluded due to substantial dissimilarities in the circumstances.

Regarding the first complainant, the court found her evidence unreliable and acquitted the accused of all related charges.

Regarding the second complainant, the court found no evidence of exploitation or coercion, resulting in acquittals for human trafficking and material benefit.

However, the court found the accused guilty of two counts of procuring for introducing and recruiting the second complainant to work in the sex trade.

The Crown brought an application under s. 714.1 of the Criminal Code to allow the complainant in a human trafficking case to testify by video link from Nova Scotia.

The complainant, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offences, had returned to Halifax and expressed severe anxiety about returning to Toronto to testify, fearing the accused's associates and the disruption to her support network.

The court granted the application, finding that the complainant's vulnerability and the potential for emotional distress in Toronto would likely interfere with the presentation of her evidence, and that modern video technology sufficiently protected the accused's right to make full answer and defence.

The accused was convicted of historical gross indecency against a child relative, with the abuse spanning ten years.

The Crown sought a five-year sentence, while the defence argued for three to four years.

The court emphasized denunciation and deterrence, noting the profound breach of trust and the severe, lasting impact on the victim.

The court imposed a base sentence of 57 months, reduced by 33 months of enhanced pre-sentence custody credit, resulting in a net sentence of two years less a day to be served in a provincial facility, followed by three years of probation.

Additional orders included a DNA order, lifetime registration on the National Sex Offender Registry, and lifetime prohibition orders under sections 161 and 110 of the Criminal Code.