Two men have been arrested in a Lloydminster human trafficking case.
Lloydminster RCMP responded to an incident on January 26th, 2016 in the 8100 block of 45 St., in which an 18-year-old Alberta woman requested help. The woman stated she was forced to have sex and was being held against her will. One man was arrested shortly after the incident was brought to police attention while the second fled the city. He was later found and captured in Manitoba.
“At this time, the investigation has been completed. The two individuals that were arrested were the only suspects, and this was the only victim that we came across. We did not find any evidence that would link this to organized crime, or anything larger than what we saw presented to us here,” says Constable Grant Kirzinger with the Lloydminster RCMP.
32-year-old, Preston Carpenter, from Edmonton has been charged with Trafficking in persons, Failure to comply with probation, Possession of a controlled substance three counts of Possession of property obtained by crime.
As well, 28-year-old, Cebien Dieujuste, of Montreal, faces charges of Trafficking in persons, two counts of Sexual Assault, and Assault.
“We’ve been in contact with several different police forces, in several locations throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta, in regards to Mr. Dieujuste. We’ve also obtained search warrants on vehicles, GPS’s, and several different cell phones, and things like that; there is some data that shows that Mr. Dieujuste is very transient, and shows that he has been the suspect for other human trafficking investigations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan,” explains Kirzinger.
The victim received medical treatment when she was picked up and Victim Services provided emotional support. Kirzinger indicated that the victim’s name and location will not be released, but that she had been introduced to the gentleman through a mutual friend.
Both individuals remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in Alberta provincial court via Closed Circuit Television: Cebien Dieujuste on April 21st in St. Paul, and Preston Carpenter, on July 6th in St Paul.