CFS worker pleads guilty to human trafficking

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This article was published 17/06/2016 (3378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A former Child and Family Services worker has admitted to a rare human trafficking charge that saw a troubled young woman forced into the sex trade.

Dale Richard Aymont, 45, pleaded guilty Friday and will be sentenced in October following completion of a court-ordered forensic report. He has spent the past 20 months in custody without bail.

Crown attorney Daniel Chaput gave a brief summary of the facts in court, saying Aymont met the victim through “mutual contact in the drug trade” and then recruited her into “the life and lifestyle of an escort.” This includes setting up an online profile for her, advertising her services and controlling every aspect of her life,

Aymont fed the victim a steady diet of methamphetamine and constantly threatened her with physical violence while pocketing much of her proceeds, court was told.

“He controlled her movements and assumed much of the material benefits,” said Chaput. Most of this was occurring in the Brandon area between May 2014 and October 2014. The sex trade work was being run out of local motels in that city.

The victim eventually disclosed what happened to Winnipeg police, triggering an investigation by members of the counter-exploitation unit.

Aymont has also pleaded guilty to drug-related offences and will be sentenced at the same time as the human trafficking charge. Further details of all the offences will be presented during that hearing.

Aymont worked for Southeast Child and Family Services as a human resources consultant between 2010 and 2011. He was fired after getting caught snooping employee data.

Aymont was also highly visible online, including writing a blog post in which he discussed Winnipeg’s relationship with prostitution entitled “The Oldest Profession – When Morality Meets The Modern World … Can They Co-exist?”

“Like abortion and capital punishment,” Aymont wrote, “this may forever be in the arena of ‘feeling’ rather than ‘fact’ while many of us may still be taking a wait-and-see position, I for one am looking forward to the continued debate.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, he also worked for We Care Home Health Services as a regional manager of human resources in 2013 and 2014, and for Bell Media in human resources.

www.mikeoncrime.com

-with files from the Brandon Sun