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London police will begin releasing the names of men charged with buying sex, a policy change for which a local women’s agency has pushed for the past decade.

Police Chief John Pare made the announcement at Thursday’s police board meeting following a presentation on human trafficking in London, a city identified as a hub for the crime because of its location along the Highway 401 between Toronto and the U.S. border.

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Pare touted the naming of men who buy sex, known as johns, as a weapon in the fight against human trafficking, defined as the exploitation of people for profit through force, fraud or coercion.

“We’re trying to use all the tools that are available to us to combat human trafficking and this is just another step in that direction,” Pare said.

“This is our way to affect the demand (for prostitution) and enhance public safety for these victims of human trafficking. Really, this is just a warning to (sex buyers to) . . . make better choices in life.”