Man charged in teen prostitution ring

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- A Vancouver man faces human trafficking charges for an alleged inter-provincial prostitution ring involving underaged girls, Canadian police say.

Reza Moazami, 27, was arrested during an Oct. 7 raid on a Vancouver home, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Reported.

During the raid, police found two girls in the house and Moazami was charged with two counts of living off the avails of the prostitution of a juvenile and one charge of keeping a common bawdy house, police said.

Moazami was charged Oct. 25 with 18 criminal offenses relating to human trafficking and prostitution after a police investigation found that the man was allegedly involved in the inter-provincial trafficking of as many as four girls, ages 14 to 17, for the sex trade.

"This is only the second time in Vancouver police history that human trafficking charges have been laid in a case of sex-trade workers and the first involving youth," said police Sgt. Rich Akin.

Police say the investigation remains open and they hope more witnesses will come forward.

"We believe there are other people out there with information. I think there are enough people out there that know the situation and we are just asking those people to come forward and talk to us," Akin said.

Moazami is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 21.