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ThtBaiuurflheEra PUBLIC SAflSlY Sex trade victim turns focus to helping others Terrifying ordeal following arrival in Canada Ms Nagy is now the executive director of Walk With Me an organization working with victims of human trafficking Sharing her story has not been easy she said It has been an arduous journey for Ttmea Nagy About a decade ago the 32yearold Hun gary native answered a newspaper job ad I was supposed to be a babysitter or a housekeeper she said When I got to Can ada the job was actually working in strip joint She was kidnapped controlled kept under horrible conditions and forced to work in the sex trade in the Greater Toronto Area including ai Richmond Hills once notorious Fantasia club she said in an interview fol lowing a Crime Stoppers press conference in Markham Tuesday After turning her back on the GTAs seedy sex industry she testified in the unsuccessful prosecution of those accused of her ordeal It was pretty clear that I cant hide my past I think it was my healing process because I never really talked about it About a year ago she read a story in a Toronto newspaper about a Russian woman who had escaped from sex slavery in North York 1 read my story she said She described the area where she was kept and I had fancy dinners in that area just the year before 1 personally felt so guilty that 1 was sit ting there having the time of my life while somebody else was going through the same thing that I had been through 10 years ago I thought this wasnt happening anymore CLOCK TOWER INN retirement residence Afeheimer Awareness Seminar January 2 to 4 pm Do you know what the signs of are what to do Iff you noticed them Presented the Alzheimers Society of York Region All proceeds going to the Alzheimers Society RSVP by January She said she contacted several police ser vices and offered to help It was pretty clear that I cant hide my past she said It was a process It was a painfully long process I think it was my healing process because I never really talked about it- Being a human trafficking victim is very complex she said It is much tike being a kid napping victim a domestic violence victim and a child molestation victim simultane ously Most of the victims don realize they are victims Ms Nagy said They dont want to deal with it They just think its normal The brain and mind are such a beautiful thing You go into survivor mode This month is international Crime Stop pers month and York Crime Stoppers is turn ing Its attention to human trafficking and how the community can help Human trafficking victims are often used as sex trade workers forced labour or even for black market human organs said Dave past York Crime Stoppers chairperson Human trafficking is a to billion a year industry he added- York Regional Police Chief La Barge took aim at the socalled Johns who help exploit sex trade workers They are victimizing these people Whether they recognize it or not that is the sad reality he said York police last October arrested a 24- yearold man for human trafficking and sev eral other offences including kidnapping after a 19yearoid woman escaped from a police were told persuaded her into a life of exotic dancing The teenager was forced to live according to strict rules and was only allowed to leave the apartment to work police said 1 A Mississauga man is still before the New market courts in the case He is to appear again Jan 26 Anyone who recruits transports conceals or exercises control direction or influence TlMEA Founder of Walk With Me an organization helping human trafficking victims of a person for the pur pose of exploiting them or assisting in their exploitation faces a lifetime prison term if they kidnap a person during the commission of the crime the Criminal Code of Canada states York vice officers continue investigating human trafficking leads Canadawide Chief La Barge said We have a very active group here in Can ada coming out of the Last Coast that is very involved in prostitutionrelated offences and we had a couple of investigations as have other GTA services involving this group Chief La Barge said The group known as North Prestons Fin est brings young girls to the GTA to work as exotic dancers or prostitutes you have any information about human trafficking activities or any other cnminal activity n Region you can anonymously contact Cnme Stoppers by casing 222 TIPS log onto mm 18O0222tipscom or text and your message to CRIMES 274637 Snowmobiler killed on Lake Simcoe BY JOE FANTAUZZl A man is dead after the bile he was riding crashed into a pickup truck on Lake Simcoe New Years Day at about 10 pm a 22-year- old Keswick man was driving SkiDoo Mach Z 800 at a high rate of speed south on the lake near the east shoreline near the intersection of Avenue and Lake Drive South York Regional Police said Meanwhile a 24yearold Keswick man was driving a 2002 CMC Siena north from the same area of the shoreline police said As they got closer to each other the driver of the Sierra swerved to the right the driver of the SkiDoo swerved to the left and the POLICE BLOTTER vehicles collided police said The SkiDoos driver was hospitalized and later died police said The Sienas driver was not hurt A probe into the crash continued at press If you have any information about this col call police at I 8668765423 ext Crime Stoppers at TIPS leave a tip at www or text T1PYORK uid vour message to CRIMES NOW OPEN G A I T he Ultimate ntertop