A Long Plain First Nation woman has been charged after RCMP allege she befriended at least two teens and lured them into performing sexual acts on several men in exchange for drugs and money in a southwestern Manitoba city.
Seven people have been arrested and 65 charges have been laid following an investigation by the Mounties’ internet child exploitation unit focused on Portage la Prairie, RCMP said Monday.
Police know of two 15-year-old victims, but believe there may be more, RCMP Insp. Shawn Pike said at a news conference Tuesday.
“This was a fairly organized operation where the suspects used multiple platforms with the deliberate intent to exploit minors,” Pike said.
The investigation began in early February, after RCMP were notified of a young girl seen with older men, Pike said.
The seven people were arrested and charged after 10 searches were done during the investigation that followed, he said.
Investigators learned that the two teens were befriended by a woman who said they could hang out with her and some of her friends and get drugs and money, Pike said.
The teens trusted the woman and went to various residences with her from June 2023 to May 2024, Pike said.
There would be a man present at each location who would provide drugs in exchange for sexual acts from the teens, Pike said. In many instances, the teens could not escape the residences as they were locked in by the woman, who stayed throughout each interaction, police allege.
The teens would receive drugs, and sometimes money, after performing sexual acts on the man, Pike said. The woman would also receive drugs as a form of payment, including methamphetamine, police said.
Investigators believe a 13- or 14-year-old girl was also exploited by the group, but they have not identified her yet.
“If you think it’s not happening in your community, you are wrong. Youth of all ages, backgrounds and life circumstances can be exploited and taken advantage of through the actions of adults,” Pike said.
“This is human trafficking.… These kids are getting hurt.”
Drugs, firearms seized
Police seized a large amount of methamphetamine, cocaine and 14 firearms — including rifles and shotguns — during their investigation.
Chasity Nicole Assiniboine, 43, from Long Plain First Nation, is charged with two counts of trafficking a person under the age of 18, four counts of child luring, two counts of uttering threats, benefiting from sexual services provided by someone under the age of 18, advertising sexual services and procuring a person under the age of 18.
The six men are all from Portage la Prairie and know each other, police said.
Sean Michael Boak, 40, David Guy Howard Taylor, 40, Scott Joseph Taylor, 34, Alexander Paul Lidster, 39, and Frank Peter Justin Tecza, 39, face a number of charges in connection with the incidents.