Kaitlyn is 17 years old. Soon after moving to a new city, she met a 28-year-old man who treated her well. Over the next few weeks, he was attentive and caring, and kept offering to pay for things. One night he told Kaitlyn to perform oral sex on his friend. Kaitlyn refused. He beat her up, took her phone, and now he won’t let her leave the apartment without him. He has since coerced her into performing oral sex on several of his friends and she feels that he is receiving money for this. If she does not immediately comply, he gets physical with her. He has also sexually assaulted her a few times. She is very afraid and knows no one else in the city.
James is 24 and from the Philippines. He came to Canada on a work visa to send money back home to his family. He started working at a fish plant in a rural area. He is paid for 8 hours a day but in reality the workers are often there for 10-12 hours a day. He also has his pay docked if there are any small issues with his work. He would like to leave the factory, but the factory owner is holding his passport and has told him he’ll be deported if he causes trouble. He feels trapped and alone.
Maria took a job as a nanny for two children. Part of the agreement for watching the children is room and board in the family’s home. Maria agreed to watch the children Monday to Friday while the parents were working, and occasionally in the evenings on weekends. Maria now cares for the children most of the time, 7 days a week. She also does a great deal of the housework, which was not part of the original agreement. She wants to leave, but knows that if she quits she will no longer have a job or a place to live. She doesn’t know how to get out of this situation.
Need help? Call the National Human Trafficking hotline at 1-833-900-1010 any time, any day of the year