Stephen Charlie's prostitution of a child

Stephen Charlie's prostitution of a child took place between October 2010 and January 2012 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Charlie grew up depending on food banks and living in homeless shelters. He became part of Canada's foster care system when he was 11 and had begun using cocaine on a daily basis by the time he was 19. In October 2010, Charlie met a poor, unemployed, 15-year-old girl who had been living with a much older man who had frequently assaulted her. Charlie encouraged the girl to advertize herself as a prostitute online as a way of making money. She did as Charlie instructed, but Charlie kept all her earnings. In November, police began an undercover operation after having seen online advertisements for the girl's sexual services on several websites. Phone calls recorded by the police demonstrated that Charlie was threatening the girl with violence if she did not continue to prostitute herself and give him her earnings.

On January 19, 2012, Charlie was arrested and charged with six offences, four of which related to the prostitution of a child online and two which were unrelated. Because Charlie's victim was only 16 years old at the time of his arrest, her name was not released to the public, nor was information about whether she was living with family or with youth services. On May 29, Charlie pleaded guilty to extortion, to procuring the girl for illegal sexual purposes, and to prostituting her for personal gain. He received a sentence of 3 years of imprisonment from Judge Anthony Palmer. Corporal Kathy Rochlitz of the West Shore Royal Canadian Mounted Police asserted that many of the smaller communities in British Columbia don't regularly investigate similar cases, but the RCMP wanted to share information about this particular instance of child prostitution "to make people realize it does happen" and that "it may be seen more regularly in bigger centres."

Background

Stephen Anthony Charlie was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1990.^[1] It is probable that he was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. He grew up depending on food banks and living in homeless shelters. His relatives were former victims of the Canadian Indian residential school system who drank to the point of blackout and also underwent failed suicide attempts. At 9 years of age, Charlie began consuming alcoholic beverages. He became part of Canada's foster care system when he was 11 and became depressed by the time he was 14. He had begun using cocaine on a daily basis by the time he was 19.^[2]

Crime

In October 2010, Charlie met a poor, unemployed, 15-year-old girl who had previously been living with a much older man who frequently assaulted her. She was dependent on alcohol and on drugs and was also homeless.^[2] Charlie and the girl were not related.^[3] The two entered into an intimate relationship with each other and Charlie encouraged the girl to advertize herself as a prostitute online as a way of making money. She did as Charlie instructed, but Charlie kept all her earnings. The two began living in hotels, where the girl paid the rent and Charlie arranged for her sexual appointments. In her first week, the girl earned $800 in this manner, which was confiscated in its entirety by Charlie. In November, police began an undercover operation after having seen online advertisements for the girl's sexual services^[2] on several websites.^[4] There were several law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation: the West Shore Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the British Columbia RCMP, Mobile Youth Services, and the Regional Crime Unit,^[1] which is a surveillance organisation that tracks repeat offenders.^[5] Law enforcement agencies in British Columbia had previously investigated other instances of teenage prostitution advertised online.^[6]

The police located Charlie six months after the start of the investigation.^[3] Charlie was arrested in May 2011 on charges of assault,^[2] robbery, and breaking and entering.^[7] He was subsequently housed at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre. Because police believed that Charlie was procuring a minor, a search warrant was obtained in order to listen to recordings of the phonecalls that Charlie made from jail. These recorded phonecalls demonstrated that Charlie was giving the girl instructions about where to rent, how much to charge for sexual services, and generally how to prostitute herself. He also was heard to threaten the girl with violence. In response, the girl promised to make enough money through prostitution to pay for his jail canteen and his bail, which she succeeded in doing. In November, Charlie was released on bail. Later, when the girl asked for the $800 Charlie owed her, he violently assaulted her and accused her of not telling him about all of her earnings. He demanded an extra $800, threatening to kill her if she did not comply. The girl called a friend to ask for the money, which the friend agreed to give. The friend informed the police, who arrested Charlie as he was receiving the money^[2] on January 19, 2012.^[8] The investigation had lasted for fourteen months before the RCMP brought charges.^[5]

Sentencing and incarceration

Charlie initially faced six charges,^[6] four of which related to the prostitution of a child online and two which were unrelated.^[1] The four related charges were kidnapping, living off the proceeds of prostitution, forcing a person to work as a prostitute, and assault.^[9] The charge of kidnapping stemmed from the accusation that Charlie had kidnapped the girl around November 22, 2010. One of the unrelated charges was extortion, a crime that Charlie had committed in November 2010 against a man whose name was not released to the public. Charlie's indictment stated that his crimes had all occurred in the Victoria area, and the RCMP specified the West Shore. There was a two-week hearing in February 2012, after which time Charlie continued to be detained at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre. He was scheduled to appear by video before a court in West Shore on March 8.^[7]

Because Charlie's victim was only 16 years old at the time of his arrest, her name was not released to the public,^[10] nor was information about whether she was living with family or with youth services.^[3] Laureen Nowlan-Card served as Crown Prosecutor at Charlie's trial in a West Shore court, while Roger Batchelor served as Charlie's criminal defense lawyer. On May 29, 2012, Charlie pleaded guilty to extortion, to procuring the girl for illegal sexual purposes, and to prostituting her for personal gain. He received a sentence of 3 years of imprisonment from Judge Anthony Palmer. The judge had issued Charlie with a 4-month sentence for assault causing bodily harm, a 2-year sentence for extortion, a 3-year sentence for aiding the girl in prostitution, and a 3-year sentence for procuring, all sentences to be served concurrently. Judge Palmer furthermore prohibited Charlie from contacting his victim for the duration of his sentence and also from possessing a weapon for the rest of his life. Stephen Charlie had also to provide a DNA sample.^[2]

Responses

Corporal Kathy Rochlitz of the West Shore RCMP stated that crimes like Charlie's "really target the vulnerable, or at-risk youth, especially when there's the lure of the money, drugs and attention."^[4] In February 2012, Rochlitz also stated that Charlie's victim was "in a safe environment moving forward with her life."^[3] She further asserted that many of the smaller communities in British Columbia did not regularly investigate similar cases, but the RCMP wanted to share information about this particular instance of child prostitution "to make people realize it does happen" and that "it may be seen more regularly in bigger centres."^[6]

References