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Clients would answer ads for sexual services placed through social media, sometimes meeting the woman at the home, Saunders said.

During one “date,” the woman and a female client were filmed without their knowledge while they were engaged in a sex act, Saunders said, adding that footage was then used to extort the client.

“That’s how we became aware of the second victim,” he said, though he did not know what was being asked of the client in exchange for the images to not be released.

Meanwhile, the woman’s family in B.C. became concerned about being unable to contact her and notified an undisclosed RCMP detachment, which then requested that the Calgary Police Service check on her welfare.

Officers fanned out, made inquiries, and found her at a Calgary bus depot on Jan. 11, at which point she reported she had been held against her will and forced into the sex trade.

“I would suspect the family may have had information that she was attempting to travel back to her home residence,” Saunders said. “My understanding is she was trying to get away from the situation, return to family and friends.”

He said the victim is currently being supported by the members of the vice unit, friends and family, and is “progressing quite well.”

Amanda Kathleen McGee, 31, of Calgary, has been charged with trafficking in persons, administering a noxious substance to aggrieve or annoy, living on the avails of prostitution, keeping a common bawdy house, sexual assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, procuring a person to become a prostitute, extortion and voyeurism.

McGee remains in custody and is expected to appear in court Tuesday.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the case, he said.

Saunders said he is not aware of any charges pending against the client who was being extorted.

While uncommon, police are seeing more cases of women being charged with forcing other women into prostitution, he said.

This story was originally published here