Families and friends of the victim can contact the human trafficking unit at the London Police Service (LPS) for more help. The unit works toward rescuing women from human trafficking, stopping the recruitment and enforcing the laws relating to solicitation.

Cam Halliday, a Detective at the Human Trafficking Unit, says their first concern is the safety of victims of human trafficking.

“The Human Trafficking Unit’s priority is to identify, rescue and further assist and support victims of human trafficking and put them in contact with support services.  The arrest of “johns” is to act as a deterrent to others and to remove the need for sex workers,” says Halliday.

He says human trafficking is a transient crime with women being moved throughout the province, if not the country, to be exploited.

“London is one of these such stops in the circuit,” he says.

The LPS says they partner with other police agencies in Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo and St. Thomas. The operational goal is to make contact with women who are suspected of being trafficked, ensure their safety and offer support.

Beyond the LPS, the city is home to many grassroots organizations that are helping women in need and working to end human trafficking.

Reaching out to girls in need is what Pugh-Roberts has been doing for years. Today, she’s a peer support worker at the Salvation Army in London.

Now, Pugh-Roberts shares her story with the community and works with today’s sex trafficking victims. It’s her hope that she can impact the lives of others and help eliminate trafficking in the city.

Pugh-Roberts says education and informing the community about the realities faced by human trafficking victims is essential to help fight the issue. It’s a sentiment that Goldsmith shares, regardless of how painful the stories can be to hear.