Woman and teens charged with human trafficking, sexual assault

Calgary police have charged a woman and three teenagers with human trafficking after a woman reported being held against her will and forced to have sex with strangers for five days in a southwest apartment.

On Dec. 22,Jessica Vinje, 29, was taken into custody, police said in a release Wednesday.

She's been charged with one count each of human trafficking, human trafficking with material benefit, sexual assault, unlawful confinement, voyeurism and assault.

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Shortly after Vinje's arrested, three teenagers were also taken into custody and charged.

The teens can't be identified in order to comply with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The 16-year-old male was charged with one count each of human trafficking, human trafficking with material benefit, sexual assault, unlawful confinement, voyeurism, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, pointing a firearm and uttering threats.

The 17-year-old female was charged with one count each of human trafficking,human trafficking with materialbenefit,sexualassault, unlawful confinement, voyeurismand assault.

The 17-year-old male was charged with one count each ofhuman trafficking,human trafficking with materialbenefit,sexualassault, unlawful confinement and voyeurism.

Forcibly confined, sexually assaulted

The alleged victim escaped from the apartment and ran into a store in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue S.W. on Dec. 13, 2017. There, she told staff she'd been forcibly confined across the street for five days and repeatedly sexually assaulted, according to a Calgary Police Service release.

Police believe the victim met one of the suspects in the lobby of the apartment building, where she was taken upstairs and assaulted.

It's alleged that over the course of the next five days, the suspects pimped out the victim to more than 10 men, forcing her to "perform sexual acts."

The victim is "doing very well" and has been offered services through the police force, according to Det. Scott Mizibrocky with the sex crimes unit.

"The store's employees were very helpful to the victim," saidMizibrocky.

Two underage suspects were arrested immediately but released without being charged pending further investigation. Investigators then identified two more suspects Vinje and one minor.

Vinje'snext court date is set for Jan. 12.