Ontario Police charge man with several human trafficking offences, amidst cuts from Liberals

London Police Service is seeking help from the public to find Adil Hosannah, a 28-year-old man from Ajax, Ontario, who has been charged with several human-trafficking-related offences. 

They include financial/material benefit/trafficking person under 18; procuring/person under 18 years; obtaining sexual services for consideration from a person under 18 years; trafficking in persons by exercising control; procuring/recruit a person to provide sexual services for consideration; material benefit from sexual services; withhold/destroy travel or identity document/trafficking person over 18; advertising another person’s sexual services; obtaining sexual services for consideration; sexual assault; assault; possess firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order and point firearm.

Police describe Hosannah as a black man who is approximately 5’5” and 155lbs, with short black hair and brown eyes. The offences committed are related to the trafficking of a 21-year girl over several years. 

Police say that they met in 2014 when she was only 15 years old. Hosannah trafficked her around the Greater Toronto Area and London, Ontario. He also threatened the victim with a firearm on more than one occasion. 

In April 2020, he moved the victim to a residence in London and stole her identification. The victim tried to escape on April 25th, 2020 but was assaulted in the process, sustaining minor injuries.  

This warrant comes as opposition parties are calling on Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Government to reinstate funding for organizations that fight Human Trafficking. The office of Karen Vecchio, Member of Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London, sent this letter on May 28th. 

Organizations, such as The London Abused Women’s Centre, which have helped over 3000 prostitution, sexually exploited, and at-risk women and girls, will now be forced to close due to the funding cut from the Trudeau Liberals.

In a May 12th statement, the LWAC criticized the Liberal government for discontinuing funding for anti-sex trafficking programs while allowing businesses in the sex-industry that exploit women, to apply for the COVID emergency business benefit, totalling $40,000.

With sexual and physical violence increasing during the pandemic, advocates argue that the federal government is failing to address violence against at-risk women.

In an interview with CTV News, Meghan Walker, the executive director of the centre, said that she is concerned that the Government is assisting businesses that exploit women, but not those targeting sex trafficking.

Provincial governments are now considering introducing legislation to fill the funding gap that was left by Justin Trudeau’s government when it comes to funding Human Trafficking Organizations.

Ontario has committed $307 million from 2020 to 2025 to combat child sexual exploitation as part of its new anti-human trafficking strategy, with a commitment to protecting victims and intervening early, supporting survivors, holding offenders accountable and raising awareness on the issue of human trafficking.

Ontario’s plan represents the largest total investment in dedicated anti-human trafficking supports and services in Canada.