Two men and a woman who exploited a 15-year-old high school student into prostitution for months cut short the legal process by each pleading guilty on Monday.
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“At a party [la victime] reported having made 10 clients under duress, she feared [qu’un des accusés] would physically attack her if she stopped making clients,” explained M.e Ann Marie Prince of the Crown, this Monday, at the Montreal courthouse.
Standing before the judge, Diosmany Lores Almaguer, Renzo Lopez Pacheco and Lysa Witzil-Poupart thus admitted to their crime which occurred in 2018.
At the time, the 15-year-old victim was attending school. It was there that she met a girl who quickly introduced her to Lopez Pacheco.
Lysa Witzil-Poupart guilty in connection with the pimping of a 15-year-old teenager, this Monday, July 15, 2024, at the Montreal courthouse.
Photo MICHAEL NGUYEN
Initiated into prostitution
However, the latter was a pimp and he quickly pushed the victim to “work for him”.
Since the teenager was unfamiliar with the environment, it was the pimp’s partner, Witzil-Poupart, who “initiated” the young girl into the rules of prostitution. And right after, she was sent to a hotel in Laval to “make clients.”
“She also received them in an apartment in downtown Montreal,” the summary of facts states.
The teenager had to prostitute herself, keeping only half of the winnings, since Lopez Pacheco and Witzil-Poupart kept half.
The 32-year-old man managed clients and advertising, while the 29-year-old woman helped create online ads.
Delivered to another pimp
For months, the victim was under the yoke of the couple. But at one point, she fell into the clutches of Lores Almaguer, who called himself “Dr. Love.”
“He made her believe that he was going to pick her up when in fact he was taking her to his house,” the summary of facts states.
The other two accused joined them and right after, the victim was working for the new raptor.
“He gave back 50% of the winnings of the first two or three customers [à la victime]explained the prosecutor. For all other clients, he kept 100% of the winnings.”
The teenager finally managed to escape from the hands of the pimp after threatening to call the police.
The three accused were quickly handcuffed, but rather than go to trial, they pleaded guilty to charges related to pimping. Interestingly, there is no evidence to suggest they knew the teen was only 15.
They will return to court in September, so that Judge Thierry Nadon can pass sentence.