Calgarian charged with human trafficking, accused of grooming victim over social media

Justin Palmer, 45, was arrested in northeast Calgary on June 26, 2023.

A Calgary man is facing a handful of charges after allegedly trafficking and assaulting a young woman he groomed through social media.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams' (ALERT) human trafficking unit alleges the man sexually exploited and trafficked a 19-year-old woman for a period of at least one year, dating back to August 2021.

Police believe the offences took place in both Alberta and Ontario, and included not only grooming of the victim, but also advertising her sexual services.

Police allege the accused assaulted the victim multiple times, including during an instance when she was trying to leave the sex trade.

"This suspect was very violent in order to facilitate his own financial gain," said ALERT Staff Sgt. Colleen Bowers in a Thursday news release. 

ALERT says the woman is receiving victim support services.

Justin Palmer, 35, was arrested in northeast Calgary on June 26

He has been charged with:

• Trafficking in a persons;
• Materials benefit from trafficking;
• Withholding documents;
• Advertising sexual services; and
• Assault causing bodily harm.

Palmer has been released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions, including not having any contact with the victim or to access to the internet.

He is scheduled to appear in court on July 11.

POTENTIALLY MORE VICTIMS?

ALERT says it's believed the accused had been "aggressively" attempting to recruit other women.

"Our primary concern is ensuring no other women were victimized, and providing supports to those that may have been," said Bowers.

Officials encourages anyone who believes they are a victim of sexual assault or abuse to report it to police.

Victims of sexual assault can call Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234, or 911 if they are in immediate danger.

In Canada, there is no time limit on how long a victim has to report a sexual assault.