St. John's man Dominic Delisle facing rare human trafficking charges

A man with a long criminal history in Quebec has been charged with human trafficking in St. John's.

Dominic Delisle, 36, appeared by video at provincial court in St. John's on Tuesday morning.

He remains in custodyand is due back before a judge later this month.

Delisle is charged with two counts of trafficking for the purpose of exploiting a person, plus another of benefiting from committing the offence.

He is facing a fourth charge of benefiting from the provision of sexual services.

The alleged offences took place between Aug. 7 and Sept. 5, according to court documents.

There is a publication ban in place on the name of the alleged victim, who is identified only by initials in court filings.

Human trafficking is an extremely rare charge in Newfoundland and Labrador.

According to an access-to-information response posted on the government's website, only one person was charged with that offence in the provinceover the decade between 2010 and 2020. That chargewas filedin 2014and was later withdrawn.

Delisle has past convictions in Quebec for weapons offences, uttering threats and forcing women into prostitution.

According to Parole Board of Canada documents obtained by CBC News four years ago, Delisle has pimping convictions dating back to 2007. Those records indicated that he targeted girls aged 15 to 17.

In 2018, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary issued a wanted notice for Delisle, in connection with the theft of $30,000infurniture stolen from a condo he was renting in St. John's.

Delisle ultimately pleaded guilty later that year.

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The pending human trafficking charges are not the only ongoing criminal proceedings against Delisle in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Last month, the RCMP said Delisle had been arrested with another man after officers searched thetown ofHowley, on Newfoundland's west coast,and seized a loaded handgun and some cocaine.

According to the Mounties, the firearm was later determined to be stolen.

Delisle was also on the docket at provincial court in Corner Brook on Tuesday morning, in relation to four firearms-related charges.

That matter is back in court in October.

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