Halifax Regional Police have charged a 16-year-old boy and a 25-year-old man with human trafficking, prostitution and child pornography offences related to three alleged victims.

Police say the alleged victims are a 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman.

Supt. Jim Perrin said it's the first time his police force has charged a youth with human trafficking. Halifax Regional Police have laid five human trafficking charges in the last several years, he said.

On Thursday, officers raided a home on Hastings Drive in Dartmouth and another on Old Sambro Road in Halifax in connection with the investigation.

Police seized evidence and arrested Richard Hover Cooper and the 16-year-old, whose identify is banned from publication.

Perrin said there does not appear to be any connection between this case and one in Toronto, where police arrested nine people and laid 61 charges in a multi-province investigation into an alleged human trafficking operation.

Both Cooper and the 16-year-old accused were held in custody overnight and appeared in Dartmouth court on Friday morning.

They each face a slew of charges, including:

Procuring a underage person to offer or provide sexual services for consideration.

Knowing, advertising an offer to provide sexual services for consideration.

Receiving a financial or other material benefit obtained by or derived from the commission of the purchasing offence.

Making child pornography.

Trafficking a person under the age of 18.

Materially benefiting from prostitution.

Exercises control, direction or influence of movements of a person to aid in prostitution.

Living wholly or in part off the avails of prostitution.

The charges relating to the alleged human trafficking of the male victim only apply to Cooper.

The 16-year-old accused faces additional charges, including:

Making available child pornography.

Possessing child pornography.

Trafficking in persons.

Failure to comply with recognizance.

Two counts of failure to comply with a probation order.

Perrin says human trafficking involves being exploited for a purpose and "you don't think you can get out of that situation because of the threat of fear or violence."

One of the alleged female victims is from Halifax, while the other is from Antigonish County. Perrin did not say where the male victim was from. All the victims are now safe, he said.

Perrin said the alleged offences occurred within Nova Scotia and added that more charges are possible.