Daddy-daughter date mistaken for human trafficking in Guelph

Human trafficking is very real problem in Ontario.

Ontario and Nova Scotia are the only two provinces in Canada with human trafficking rates higher than the national average. The Highway 401 corridor has been flagged by anti-human trafficking groups and police agencies for years as a hotbed of human trafficking activity.

So, when police receive a report of a possible case, they take it very seriously.

What began as an innocent father-daughter coffee date last week turned into a human trafficking investigation in Guelph. Jonathan Puddle and his daughter Emmi found themselves at the center of the investigation after a concerned young man contacted police.

Guelph Police, Detective, Staff Sargant, Melanie Clark explained what the young man found so suspicious.

“They observed a male and a female, just having a coffee, having a conversation. There was some conversation that was overheard in combination with the older male and younger female that caused concern for them. So, they subsequently called the Guelph Police Service.”

Guelph police began an investigation, choosing to release security camera images of Puddle and his daughter in hopes the public would help identify them.

Clark said that’s common practice.

“We did not have an identification of the male and female in question. We did not know who they were. In order to ensure the safety of that female, and that was our only goal, we released it to the media to have the community assist us with that.”

---

---

The images quickly began circulating on social media, but police did not say if it was tips from the public that eventually identified Puddle.

Once police were able to get in contact with him, he explained what had happened. They spoke with Emmi as well. The investigation was soon dropped, with Puddle saying of police in a Facebook post, “They were very kind and have removed the post… saying to me, ‘Yeah, she’s obviously your daughter, you guys look very much alike.'”

All’s well that ends well

Despite the tumult, Puddle has expressed no ill will toward police or the young man who initiated the situation in the first place.

In another Facebook post, Puddle said he was able to speak with the young man (he identified as Logan), saying, “To hear that he was worried all week goes to show the quality of some of today’s young people. I love this new generation, they’re advocacy-minded in a deeply integrous way.”

He went on to say, “I’m thankful for the young folks who approached us and subsequently called the police — if any of my kids had been in danger, I would hope for everyone to have their eyes open and not be too embarrassed to say something.”

Meantime, Clark said Guelph Police and services across the province have been working diligently to educate the public about how to recognize human trafficking and what to do when they see it. Clark said it looks like the message is getting out there.

“The fact that these conversations are being had, makes me believe that what we are doing is working and the community is becoming more aware and educated to what human trafficking is. It does take a community to police this and help us with this.”

Feb. 22, was National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.