London police cruiser. (File photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)London police cruiser. (File photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News)
London

Third person arrested in London sex trafficking probe

London police have arrested the third person wanted for trafficking an 18-year-old woman for more than a year.

Police launched the human trafficking investigation in June of 2020.

According to investigators, the victim met a man when she was 16-years-old, and that man began selling her for sex once she turned 18. The woman was allegedly trafficked in multiple Ontario cities, including London, over an 18 month period.

London police collaborated with officers from the Waterloo Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, the Greater Sudbury Police Service, and the Guelph Police Service as part of the probe.

Three other victims were identified over the course of the investigation, police said.

Last week, a combined 36 charges were announced against Jordan Hawke, 29, of no fixed address and Shelley Hawke, 53, of Cambridge. The charges include sexual interference with a person under 16, aggravated assault, and trafficking in persons by exercising control.

A third person, Chantal Willocks, 20, of Cambridge, was charged by way of warrant with trafficking in persons by exercising control, financially or materially benefitting from trafficking a person over 18, and possession of property obtained by crime. Willocks was found and arrested this week. The accused appeared in London court in relation to the charges on Tuesday and is scheduled to make another appearance on December 9.

Police believe there may be other victims in this case and are encouraging them to come forward.

Read More Local Stories