Moms prostituted own kids

2005-11-04 14:15

Ottawa - Police in Canada have arrested and charged two women for allegedly running a brothel out of their home where children, including their own, were forced into prostitution, said officials on Thursday.

Police allege 20 children between the ages of 12 and 16, including two boys, were forced into having sexual intercourse or performing other sexual acts for money. Eleven younger children, including a toddler in diapers, were sometimes in the vicinity and likely exposed to the prostitution, police said.

Court documents said some of the children are related to one of the accused.

The house in Winnipeg's west side, in central Canada, has since been boarded up.

"The traffic during the day and night was just ridiculous. There were always people coming and going," a neighbour told the Winnipeg Free Press.

"I remember one time watching two girls, and it was obvious what was going on. You could tell that one of them was a little uneasy with what was happening," the man said.

The two women, who were not identified to protect the victims, have been charged with several offences, including living off the avails of prostitution, corrupting children and procuring children for the purposes of prostitution.

They remain in custody as police continue their investigation.

- AFP