CTV's W5 Investigates the Canadian Sex Trade

This weekend, W5 offers viewers a gritty, inside look at the world of prostitution in Canada and the young women – daughters, neighbours, students – held captive by predatory pimps.

Premiering this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV and CTV Mobile TV, W5 reveals that all of the recent prostitution cases dealt with by Ontario’s York Regional Police are domestic ¬– a stark revelation that contradicts the belief that young women lured into prostitution are brought here from foreign countries.

W5 also airs Sundays on CP24 at 1 p.m. ET, and this week W5 airs at 9 p.m. on CTV Two, and then on demand on the CTV News Video Player at CTVNews.ca (visit CTV.ca for local listings).

In a year-long investigation, W5 captured dramatic video of the York Regional Police Drugs and Vice Unit’s commitment to shutting down pimps engaged in the trafficking and enslavement of women. CTV’s Sandie Rinaldo guides viewers on the police crackdown of the thriving sex trade and the rescue of women who have been lured in to and trapped in prostitution.

As the W5 investigation reveals, victims of human trafficking are often controlled, beaten and live in a state of fear. York Region police work hard to develop a trusting relationship with women until they are prepared to turn to seek their escape.

It was just such a relationship with York Regional Police that saved Jasmine, a self-described “good church girl”, who supported herself by first waitressing, and then later stripping, while a student at Western University. For Jasmine, like so many vulnerable young women, the spiral into the sex trade happened quickly. Jasmine met her “boyfriend” who courted her with expensive gifts, vacations, and a high-priced lifestyle – eventually forcing her to pay for it as a prostitute.

The charm soon turned to violence, leaving Jasmine feeling trapped and unable to leave. After family members alerted York Regional Police to her situation, officers worked to gain her trust. They were eventually able to rescue her from the sex trade, and when Jasmine gave evidence, convict her former pimp.

W5 rides alongside the Drugs and Vice Unit, capturing the riveting arrests of several alleged pimps who are charged with assault, forcible confinement, living off the avails of prostitution, and human trafficking. The latter charge is the most serious that can be laid with sentences of up to 14 years in prison if convicted. In one dramatic pursuit, W5 captures the chase and arrest of an alleged pimp at his home in Toronto

With an ongoing commitment to covering tough, relevant stories with fair and responsible reporting, W5 is in its 46th season of investigative journalism. Hosted by Lloyd Robertson, the award-winning series is the most-watched documentary program in Canada. Anton Koschany is Executive Producer of W5. Brett Mitchell is Senior Producer. Wendy Freeman is President of CTV News.