London police lay additional sex charges against Sean Leadston

Police have laid a dozen new charges against a London business owner accused of transporting teenage girls to hotels in his carpet cleaning company van.

The man, a 40-year-old married father was charged last month with "procuring" -- a charge so rare, police only laid it about six times last year -- after two 16-year-old girls say he asked them if they wanted to make money as sex workers.

Police announced the charge of procurement -- defined as trying to entice or solicit someone who is not a prostitute to work as a prostitute -- saying they hoped other victims would feel comfortable coming forward, knowing the accused was in jail.

The plan appears to have worked as police said Monday they have now identified "two additional minors" as victims of human trafficking.

Sean Leadston, owner/operator of Heaven's Best Carpet Cleaning, is now charged with the following offences:

Two counts of domestic assault, trafficking persons under 18, financial/material benefit from trafficking person under 18, withholding identity of trafficking person under 18, procuring a person under 18 to have illicit sex, procuring a person under 18 to become a prostitute, exercise control, administering drugs for the purpose of illicit sex, living off the avails of prostitution of person under 18, living off the avails of prostitution; violence/intimidation person under 18 and drug trafficking.

Police urge anyone with information to contact Const. Jim Pottruff at 519-200-9623 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).

jenniferobrien@sunmedia.ca

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London police lay additional sex charges against Sean Leadston