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A 19-year-old Hamilton man is facing nine charges in connection with a human-trafficking investigation.

Hamilton police say officers received information in December of last year about a man who had allegedly coerced a young woman into the sex trade with drugs.

Police identified the suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest. On Saturday, police say officers located the suspect at an east-end Hamilton residence and brought him into custody.

Alex La, 19, of Hamilton, has been charged with the following offences:

robbery

trafficking in persons

trafficking in persons for material benefit

procuring for sexual services

advertising sexual services

two counts of pointing a firearm

two counts of failure to comply with a youth sentence

Investigators believe there may be other victims or individuals who have information involving this case.

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Police are encouraging potential victims and those with information to call Det. Const. Kudo Park of Hamilton police’s human-trafficking unit at 905-540-6379 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online to submit information anonymously.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you’re encouraged to reach out to a resource centre that can provide victim assistance, including SACHA (Sexual Assault Centre for Hamilton & Area), SAVIS (Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Services) of Halton, or the Niagara Sexual Assault Centre.