A Calgary man who sexually trafficked an 18-year-old woman in five cities across two provinces before his victim’s plea for help ended with his arrest in Winnipeg has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Malik Regele Marc, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this week to human trafficking, receiving a material benefit for sexual services, procuring and breaching a no-contact order.

“At the time (the victim) was being recruited into the sex trade, she should have been in the second half of Grade 12 in school,” Crown attorney Nicole Roch told provincial court Judge Cindy Sholdice.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES A Calgary man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually trafficking an 18-year-old woman in five cities across two provinces before his arrest in Winnipeg.

Court heard Marc and a group of friends had released a number of rap videos on YouTube and other social media platforms in early 2024 when the victim posted comments on the videos, attempting to attract Marc’s attention.

Marc and the woman met for the first time at a Montreal bar in March 2024, at which time he persuaded her to leave the city with him, “promising her they would be in a relationship and she would earn money as an escort,” Roch said.

Marc took intimate photos of the woman, which he then posted on websites dedicated to the sale of sexual services. Over the course of two weeks, Marc took the woman to five cities — Toronto, Timmons, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay in Ontario, then Winnipeg — where they stayed in hotels or Airbnb rentals and the woman was trafficked to dozens of men.

Marc “used verbal and psychological intimidation and manipulation to ensure the victim continued to provide sexual services to approximately 50 men,” Roch said. Marc kept most of the proceeds himself, and took possession of the woman’s cellphone and bank cards to maintain control over her.

While in Winnipeg, the woman was able to secretly call a friend in Quebec, who alerted police. Quebec police notified Winnipeg police, who arrested Marc at an Airbnb rental on Hargrave Street.

In custody, Marc made repeated calls to victim, violating a court order he have no contact with her.

Recordings of the phone calls make clear “she wanted to help him… and minimize the impact of her going to police,” Roch said.

Four out of 10 victims of human trafficking are between the ages of 18 and 24 and 56 per cent of victims are trafficked by a romantic partner or casual acquaintance, Roch said.

“It is illegal to use a (victim’s) feelings for you to introduce her to the sex trade and to use her feelings for you to keep her in the sex trade to your benefit,” she said. “That isn’t something boyfriends do — that is something that exploiters do.”

Marc has prior related convictions outside of Manitoba. Roch and defence lawyer Martin Glazer jointly recommended the eight-year sentence in a plea bargain that took into account the unlikelihood the victim would testify had the case gone to trial.

“It’s very concerning that you have similar offences on your record already,” Sholdice told Marc. “Your record doesn’t scream remorse to me or that you learned a lot.”

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca