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Man charged with human trafficking exploited victims as young as 14: Crown
VANCOUVER – The Crown says a man accused of human trafficking lured 11 young women into prostitution by offering them a glamorous lifestyle of drugs, booze, and a chance to live in downtown Vancouver.
Lawyer Damienne Darby told B.C. Supreme Court that 29-year-old Reza Moazami recruited girls as young as 14 to have sex for money between February 2009 and October 2011.
Darby says Moazami gave his victims drugs and alcohol while they worked for him, but some of them never got a penny even though Moazami allegedly agreed to split all the earnings among them.
She says that at times, Moazami allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted some of the young women, and attacked them when they disobeyed him.
Court also heard that if the girls did not do as they were told, Moazami threatened to hurt a pet dog to which some of the young victims became very attached.
Moazami is facing 36 charges, including living on the avails of a juvenile, sexual assault and sexual interference.
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