An 18-year-old Winnipeg woman is accused of forcing her 16-year-old sister to work in the city's sex trade for more than a year and then pocketing the money she made, the Free Press has learned.
The accused -- who can't be named to protect the identity of the alleged victim -- was arrested on the weekend and detained in custody at the Remand Centre.
She will appear in court Wednesday on multiple charges including procuring, living off the avails of prostitution and exercising control over a minor.
A second woman, an 18-year-old friend of the older sister, is facing similar charges related to the same youth.
Winnipeg police Const. Jacqueline Chaput confirmed Monday the investigation has been ongoing for several weeks and remains active.
"Further arrests are a possibility," she said.
Court documents say most of the sexual activity occurred inside a Bannatyne Avenue home where the girls were apparently living. A justice source said the case is "complex" and deeply disturbing.
One charge claims the accused "unlawfully and repeatedly procured (the victim) to have illicit sexual intercourse with another male person" between November 2006 and August 2007.
Another says the accused "unlawfully and repeatedly exercised control over the movements (of the victim) in such a manner as to show that she was aiding that person to engage in prostitution" during the same time period.
The accused is charged with living off her younger sister's money and "obtaining for consideration the sexual services" of the alleged victim.
The accused is also facing allegations that pre-date her turning 18 in November 2006. Those charges are being dealt with in youth court.
There has been an increased focus by police and the public on the sex trade in recent months amid fears a serial killer could be at work in the city.
Police recently charged a 49-year-old man with the July 2007 slaying of Aynsley Kinch. But there are still 18 unsolved slayings of other Manitoba sex-trade workers since 1983 in which no arrests have been made.
www.mikeoncrime.com
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