Thirteen men have been charged in connection to the sexual exploitation of a girl, which started when she was only 12 years old.

Police, who began investigation into the case on Oct. 29, 2014, said the girl was exploited regularly by the men, with the incidents finally coming to an end when she was 17.

The men, who range in age from 41-69, would give the girl cash in exchange for sexual services, police said.

None of the suspects were related to the victim, although several were acquainted with her family.

"These individuals, I can tell you, had minimal police involvement in the past and clearly were not on our radar as far as individuals engaged," said Const. Jason Michalyshen with the Winnipeg Police Service.

The incidents all occurred in Winnipeg, police said.

Tougher sentences needed, advocate says

David Matas, a lawyer with Beyond Borders, said the sexual abuse of children is much more common than we'd like to think.

"It tends to be under the radar because children don't complain and historically police have not given this the priority the crime deserves."

Matas said tougher sentences are required to act as a deterrent to potential offenders.

"The fact that so many people could be involved over such a long time highlights the inability of our legal system to come to grips with this phenomenon," he said.

Matas also said children are often ill-equipped to come forward during the abuse, and police cannot wait for victims to get old enough to come forward.

"The police, I suggest, should be doing more outreach and investigative work so that they can nip this sort of crimes in the bud," he said.

'Take that extra step'

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection said it's not just police, but all of us who need to remain vigilant.

"We need folks to stop minding their own business when it comes to young people," Christy Dzikowicz, said director of Missing Children Services at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, "If you're concerned about a kid you have to take that extra step and make the call (to police)."

Dzikowicz pointed out there are several options for concerned citizens to report vulnerable children including, child welfare agencies, the police and a new online campaign cybertip.ca.

"If it conjures up that feeling I think you need to trust your instincts and make a call and err on the side of caution," she said.

The men have been charged with: