Niagara police arrest St. Catharines man accused of human trafficking for a decade

The Niagara Regional Police Service detachment in 1 District located in St. Catharines, Ont., Friday, March 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Lynett (Aaron Lynett/The Canadian Press)

Niagara police have arrested a man who was the subject of a human trafficking investigation dating back to 2008.

In a release on Tuesday, police say in 2024, detectives with the Human Trafficking Unit began investigating “historical” allegations in the Niagara region, with offences occurring between 2008 and 2018.

Police say a male delivery driver for a local company was identified as the suspect and arrested on Nov. 18.

Stephen Caron, 56, of St. Catharines, is charged with trafficking in persons, material benefit, four counts of sexual assault, assault with a weapon, assault, and uttering threats.

He was scheduled to appear in court to answer to the charges today.

Niagara police say they have reason to believe there are additional witnesses and are urging them to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009742, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.