Two men are facing a combined 17 charges after a woman was taken from her home in Montreal and forced into the sex trade in Toronto.
Police say the victim, a 19-year-old woman, met one of the suspects through Snapchat in March and then began a relationship with him.
After the pair dated for about a month, police say the man informed the woman that he had spent all of his money on her and that she owed him.
At that point, it is alleged that the man took the woman from Montreal to Toronto, where she was forced to work as an escort at numerous hotels and turn over all of her money.
It is further alleged that the man assaulted the woman on a number of occasions during this period.
Police say that the man also showed the woman a firearm at one point, and threatened her, saying that he would kill her and her family if she were to go to the police.
On Friday, July 15, police say that the man again assaulted the woman, this time while driving in downtown Toronto.
Following the alleged assault, police say the woman was able to escape the vehicle and ran into a nearby store for help.
Members of the Human Trafficking Enforcement Team then arrested two men later that day.
Police say that they believe the second man booked the hotel rooms that the woman worked out of and split the profits with the first man.
Nestor Pintoschew, 27, of Montreal, is facing 13 human trafficking related charges while Francois Kesly, 25, of Montreal, is facing four human trafficking related charges.
Police say that there may be additional victims out there who have not yet come forward.
