Dale Carruthers
A London man who was arrested last year during a large-scale investigation into gun crimes and weapons smuggling now faces new human trafficking charges. Dylan Crawford, 25, was arrested in February 2023 for firearm and drug-related offenses and has since been charged with trafficking a person for sexual exploitation.
The charges stem from incidents dating back to 2019, when a woman working in the sex trade made an agreement with Crawford for lodging and payment. However, Crawford withheld money from her and assaulted her, prompting her to stop working for him by September 2019. In June 2019, he allegedly contacted her, demanding money and threatening her family if she did not comply.
The woman contacted the police, which led to an investigation by the human trafficking unit. Crawford now faces multiple charges, including human trafficking, exercising control over the victim for financial or material gain, and procuring or exercising control over sexual services.
Crawford was in custody on unrelated charges when the trafficking allegations were brought against him. His arrest in February 2023 followed a police operation that uncovered a large quantity of firearms, drugs, and cash. Police also seized nine handguns, cocaine, prescription pills, cellphones, and $2,555 in cash during his arrest. This discovery led to the launch of Project SAFE, a three-month investigation into gun smuggling and drug trafficking, which resulted in 70 charges against individuals and the seizure of 26 firearms and over $8.5 million in illicit drugs.
Although Crawford was initially facing multiple charges related to firearms and drug trafficking, these charges were stayed in July 2023. This means the case was set aside, and no further court action will be taken. Crawford is still facing charges related to dangerous driving, flight from police, and driving while prohibited from an incident in August 2022. The case is set to return to court on July 29.
Crawford now faces a new set of serious charges, including human trafficking, assault, and making threats to cause death or bodily harm, further deepening the criminal investigations surrounding him.