A teenager has been charged for allegedly prostituting herself and pimping other girls through the online classified advertisement site Craigslist in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Police began investigating the case after receiving a tip last month.
The girl (14), was posing as an 18-year-old woman in online ads posted in Craigslist’s erotic services section. She was allegedly selling sexual services and recruiting other teens into providing similar services.
“She was the ringleader,” Chilliwack, British Columbia, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cpl Lea-Anne Dunlop told the Canadian Press. “It’s something that’s unfortunate to see.”
The accused teenager knew the other teens she is accused of recruiting, Dunlop said. The girl faces one count of procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution, and more charges could be laid as the RCMP proceeds with its investigation.
A 51-year-old man, David Hilpert of Chilliwack, has also been charged with two counts of sexual assault in connection to the case.
The ad on Craigslist has been removed, police said, adding that operators of the website have co-operated fully with the investigation.
