Trafficking in minors | Seven people charged

Seven people are accused of having subjected or attempted to subject a teenage girl to a form of modern slavery in March 2022 in several cities in Quebec and New Brunswick. If four accomplices were arrested, three others are still wanted by the police.

Surprisingly, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) does not mention the existence of a network or an organization, even if seven people are involved in this affair. The SQ had indeed very little information to give on the circumstances of this case.

Three men and a woman appeared at the Drummondville courthouse on Thursday to face several charges, including pimping and trafficking in minors, a crime often described as a form of modern slavery. The alleged crimes were committed between March 8 and March 16, 2022 in several regions of Quebec.

They are Garrentz Célestin, 26, from Trois-Rivières, Jimson Pierre, 25, from Repentigny, Gerald Junior Charles, 25, from Laval and Kimberly Champagne, 25, from Notre-Dame-du-Bon- Advice. Among the accomplices, Jimson Pierre is the only one to be accused of having sexually assaulted the victim.

Three defendants were not arrested during the crackdown by the Integrated Pimping Squad (EILP) on Thursday. The police are asking for the public’s help in finding Benjamin Chavannes, 24, from Laval, Sébastien Thibault, 39, from Sorel-Tracy and Vicky Bélanger, 35, from Sainte-Thérèse. The latter has a heart tattoo under her left eye.

Law enforcement invites anyone with information on this subject to contact the Criminal Information Center of the Sûreté du Québec at 1 800 659-426.