Two Burlington Men Face Human Trafficking Charges
Posted December 5, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A lurid story is emerging out of Burlington, where Halton police allege a young woman was held against her will and forced to work as a stripper.
The disturbing story began when a concerned citizen contacted police about a 17-year-old who had apparently escaped from a home where she was allegedly being held.
Police quickly tracked down the teen, who told investigators that two men she met in November lured her into the field of exotic dancing.
Once she got a taste of the lifestyle, however, she tried to leave the Mississauga area strip club where she danced on two occasions. According to the accusations, she was then beaten by the pair, who are also alleged to have forced her to turn over all her earnings.
From then on, police contend, she was held at the home and transported to and from the strip club. Police also accuse the duo of attempting to lure her into prostitution.
She finally found freedom when she escaped the house on December 3rd while her two accused captors were sleeping.
A day later, Halton police arrested two males and one female.
The two male suspects, identified as Stefano Jemile Dixon, 19, and Jordan Cromwell, 21, both of Burlington, are facing numerous serious charges including forcible confinement and human trafficking.
Police believe the men are associated with a street gang called “North Preston’s Finest.”
