Photo courtesy of ALERT.
Three suspects have been arrested for their involvement in running a human trafficking operation across Canada, including Red Deer.
Project Endgame was a year-long investigation led by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) Human Trafficking unit.
The investigation revealed a cross-Canada network of sex trafficking that was in operation for over a decade by the accused and possibly others.
The perpetrators were in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Lloydminster, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Cold Lake, and Estevan, Sask.
The perpetrators allegedly controlled the victims through coercion by forcing them to perform multiple sex acts on multiple clients every day.
If the victims questioned the traffickers or disputed the situation, they were often violently assaulted, degraded, and/or threatened with further loss, violence, and isolation.
Search warrants were issued resulting in arrests in Edmonton, Montreal, and Red Deer.
A total of 23 charges related to human trafficking offences have been laid against Clyde Elien-Abbot, Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, and Jean Rodnil Dubois.
Clyde Elien-Abbot, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:
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Trafficking in persons;
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Procuring;
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Material benefit from sexual services;
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Advertising sexual services;
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Money laundering; and
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Animal cruelty.
Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:
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Sexual assault;
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Assault;
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Trafficking in persons;
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Procuring;
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Material benefit from sexual services; and
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Uttering threats.
Jean Rodnil Dubois, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:
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Sexual assault;
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Assault;
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Trafficking in persons;
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Procuring;
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Material benefit from sexual services; and
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Uttering threats.
Elien-Abbot was arrested on Jan. 31, in Edmonton, while the other two were arrested on July 23, 2024.
Elien-Abbot remains in custody and has a bail hearing scheduled for Feb. 19.
Dorcelus-Cetoute and Dubois were both released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court on March 7.
“Project Endgame exhausted all resources and avenues to bring charges against the suspects and end this cycle of sexualized violence and degradation,” said Staff Sergeant Chris Hayes, ALERT.
A number of human trafficking victims were located and provided resources and assistance through ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators.
ALERT believes there are additional victims and encourages them to contact police.
Project Endgame began in May 2023 following a 911 call placed to police detailing a sex worker being violently assaulted. The investigation has connections to a 2021 ALERT human trafficking investigation in which Dorcelus-Cetoute was charged.
The investigation involved the assistance of the Edmonton Police Service, City of Edmonton Animal Bylaw, Service de Police de a Ville de Montreal (SPVM), RCMP ‘C’ Division, RCMP ‘K’ Division, RCMP ‘D’ Division, and the Quebec joint forces Anti-Pimping team known as EILP.
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