Montreal man faces trafficking charges after joint police investigation

A Montreal man who police say posed online as a women’s fitness instructor is facing multiple sex traffickingrelated charges after a joint investigation by Ontario and Quebec police. York Regional Police said their counterexploitation unit launched proactive enforcement in May focused on the advertising of sexual services. During the investigation, officers identified a victim at a hotel in Markham, Ontario, near Highway 7 and Leslie Street. Police said the victim told investigators they had been lured from British Columbia to Ontario and then trafficked and exploited in the sex trade. Officers later identified other victims and linked the suspect to an ongoing human trafficking case in Montreal. Phillippe Mokoko, 38, faces 14 charges, including trafficking in persons, advertising sexual services, and material benefit from trafficking. Police said he was on probation at the time of his arrest and may have additional victims across Canada, especially in Ontario, B.C. and Quebec.