Manitoba’s child sexual exploitation epidemic

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This article was published 21/03/2025 (230 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Children are not commodities, yet every day in Manitoba, they are exploited, manipulated, coerced, and sold for sex. Predators in positions of trust, authority, or dependency — such as coaches, teachers, caregivers, and community members — groom children, cross boundaries to engage in sexual abuse, pressure them to send explicit photos, or lure them into online sexual acts.

In Manitoba alone, hundreds of children and youth are identified as sexually exploited every year, while it’s estimated that thousands more remain unseen.

In the first 18 months of the Manitoba Advocate’s Serious Injury Reviews and Investigations Program, sexual assaults were the most common injury form brought to our office’s attention — including children as young as eight years old being bought and sold for sex. Of the 58 reviewed sexual assault cases, 36 per cent occurred in the context of sexual exploitation. More than half the youth had already been sexually exploited at some point in their lifetime before suffering further serious injury.

Due to inconsistent reporting across organizations, these numbers barely scratch the surface. Yet, gaps in the Manitoba government’s response continue to leave children vulnerable to harm.

A grave inequity is occurring — one that allows some youth to thrive, while others, often already disadvantaged, remain vulnerable. Those in unstable housing — including foster care, group homes, or homelessness—face the highest risks. Youth living in poverty, facing systemic discrimination, Indigenous or racialized children, and kids in the LGBTTQ+ community are also at higher risk. Additional barriers, like disabilities, newcomer or refugee status, or involvement in the criminal justice system, further increase vulnerability, especially for those who have already experienced abuse or trauma.

Predators often exploit these systemic gaps, preying on youth who lack strong social supports.

However, any child who craves connection, belonging, or purpose is vulnerable, and in a world where they have access to everyone, that means everyone has access to them. While protective factors matter — a strong sense of self, clear boundaries, trusted adults — manipulation is powerful. At the core of childhood is a nature to trust, and when the wrong adult earns that trust, the consequences can be devastating.

Grooming isn’t big or obvious, but small, calculated steps that disarm and blur lines. It rarely starts with force or threats, but rather with trust, affection, and attention.

It’s about quiet red flags, subtle behaviour shifts, and underlying intentions masked as care. Sometimes it perfectly mimics a loving, trusting relationship — something every child is wired to seek. The manipulation can be slow and deliberate, making it difficult for a young person to recognize.

By the time the abuse occurs, the young person may feel complicit, confused, or even protective of their abuser. Shame, fear, and the belief that no one will understand — or worse, that they will be blamed — can keep survivors silent.

Because this abuse is so insidious, its aftermath is just as complex. Research demonstrates that survivors carry an increased risk of mental health struggles and behavioural issues. Whether or not harm is fully recognized, it can shape the survivor’s relationships, sense of safety, and ability to navigate the world. It may look like isolation or gravitating toward further harm.

One day they seem fine; the next, they may lash out. It may look like exhaustion or shutting down completely. Even simple tasks — going to school, trusting a teacher — may be unbearable.

Child sexual exploitation is deeply connected to some of the most urgent systemic crises happening throughout our province. Survivors connected to our office have highly complex advocacy needs and often cross multiple systems. Stemming from both pre-existing vulnerabilities and the lasting aftershock of abuse. Some survivors spend years bouncing between foster homes, struggling to repair fractured family relationships, or coping with substances.

Others become entangled in gangs, abusive relationships, or the criminal justice system. Many are charged with crimes rooted in their trauma — running away, drug possession, theft, property damage, or even lashing out at those trying to support them. Many experience ongoing victimization, and high rates of self-harm and suicidality.

Despite the tireless efforts of so many to prevent children from being sexually exploited and help ensure the government is doing everything it can to fulfill its children’s rights obligations, gaps in Tracia’s Trust: Manitoba’s Strategy to Prevent Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking persist. Manitoba’s strategy, once leading the way, has since been far surpassed by other provinces. Our office’s serious injury data exposes the devastating scale of this crisis.

Manitoba’s young people deserve investments that match the full reach of their needs. The latest data make one thing clear — inaction is not an option. As Manitobans, we must face this crisis head-on and refuse to look the other way.

If you suspect a child is being exploited, report your concerns immediately to the Child and Family All Nations Coordinated Response Network at 204-944-4200 in Winnipeg or 1-866-345-9241 outside Winnipeg, or contact your local police. But reporting alone is not enough. Manitoba must take immediate, concrete action to protect children, ensuring they have the resources and safeguards they need to keep them safe and support their healing.

Sherry Gott is the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth.