Accused human trafficker hires serial killer's former lawyer ahead of trial
A registered sex offender accused of human trafficking has hired a new lawyer two months ahead of trial.
On Tuesday, in a virtual Barrie courtroom, Lauriston Maloney appeared alongside defence lawyer, Anthony Bryant, who once represented notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo.
In 2005, Bryant received a letter from Bernardo confessing to several additional crimes following his conviction for the murders of Kristin French and Leslie Mahaffy.
Maloney is scheduled to stand trial in October.
The 43-year-old man from Essa Township is accused of trafficking a person, receiving material benefits from trafficking, assault and forcible confinement.
Maloney, who was first convicted about 20 years ago for trafficking an underage girl as part of an escort service he ran in the Mississauga area, was arrested last July along with his wife Amber, who is also accused of trafficking a person and materially benefiting from it, administering a noxious substance, fraud over $5,000 and uttering a forged document.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The couple's arrests came after a rare public safety warning issued by the OPP advising the community of Maloney's presence at the unlicenced 'Beating the Odds' camp for children on the autism spectrum owned and operated since 2022 by his wife on their two-acre property in Utopia.
A publication ban protects any evidence heard in court from being released. However, police confirmed the alleged victim in the case was not a child at the camp.
Nottawasaga OPP previously said Maloney was also convicted about 10 years ago for trafficking young women.
Following several weeks in custody, the couple was released on bail to their respective parents.
Bryant declined to comment on the case.
The allegations against the Maloneys have not been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada travellers share worries and frustrations ahead of possible pilot strike
Here's what customers had to say about their travel plans ahead of a potential Air Canada pilot strike.
Trudeau says Ukraine can strike deep into Russia with NATO arms, Putin hints at war
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ukraine should be allowed to strike deep inside Russia, regardless of Moscow threatening that this would draw Canada and its allies into direct war.
Driver charged with killing NHL's Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had .087 blood-alcohol level
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
23-year-old Muskoka, Ont., resident highlights the need for rural health care after stroke
The experience of 23-year-old Muskoka, Ont., resident Robyn Penniall, who recently had a stroke, comes as concerns are being raised about the future of health care in her community.
Three-way race expected in Montreal byelection
Byelections rarely draw the kind of attention that has now put a spotlight on a vibrant and densely populated Montreal riding. The Monday vote in Lasalle-Ville Emard-Verdun, in the city’s southwest, is shaping up as a three-way race and a test of the strength of the Liberal party’s base.
24-packs of Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt recalled over mould
Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt 24-packs are being recalled in Canada due to mould.
Former NHL enforcer Stephen Peat dies after being hit by car in B.C.
Stephen Peat, the former Washington Capitals enforcer who fought concussion issues and was homeless at times after leaving hockey, has died from injuries sustained late last month when he was struck by a car while crossing a street. He was 44.
LIVE UPDATES
LIVE UPDATES Air Canada flights could halt next week: Here's the latest
Air Canada's potential work stoppage could ground flights, halt cargo and leave travellers scrambling to reschedule next week. Follow along with live updates here.
2 suspects charged after Lamborghini stolen in armed home invasion in Richmond Hill: police
York Regional Police say they have arrested two suspects and are looking for at least one more following an armed home invasion in Richmond Hill that saw thieves escape in the victim’s Lamborghini.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Kitchener
-
Hog Heaven: Friday the 13th takes over Port Dover, Ont.
The streets of Port Dover roared to life on Friday for a tradition that has been going on for decades.
-
Record lottery jackpot up for grabs in Ontario
The draw for the highest jackpot ever – by any Canadian lottery – is happening Friday night.
-
24-packs of Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt recalled over mould
Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt 24-packs are being recalled in Canada due to mould.
London
-
Pedestrian struck by car in London’s south end
A serious collision involving a pedestrian has closed Commissioners Road East between Adare Crescent and Rideout Street South in all directions.
-
VIDEO
VIDEO Downtown CUPE rally in support of Western workers turns tense following altercation
There were tense moments near the end of a rally supporting striking CUPE 2361 members from Western University.
-
Police identify shooting suspect and need your help to find him
London police have identified and charged a suspect they say was involved in a shooting earlier this week.
Windsor
-
Tensions rise on Walpole Island ahead of crucial leadership election
Walpole Island First Nation is grappling with unrest as its community heads into a critical election set for Sept. 21.
-
Controversial Russian war documentary cancelled at TIFF to play at WIFF
A controversial documentary that had its screenings cancelled at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will now play at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF).
-
Essex mayor builds tiny home for different reasons
The concept is popular enough Essex mayor Sherry Bondy built an Additional Dwelling Unit in her Harrow backyard.
Northern Ontario
-
Driver charged with killing NHL's Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had .087 blood-alcohol level
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
-
Moosonee suspect charged with nine criminal weapons offences
Provincial police seized an arsenal and nearly 300 rounds of live ammunition from a home in on the James Bay Coast on Monday and charged a man with nine criminal weapons offences.
-
Police seize sawed-off shotgun, ammo, northern Ont. teen charged
A northern Ontario teen has been charged with several weapon offences after police responded to a report of a prohibited weapon at a Kapuskasing residence.
Sault Ste. Marie
-
Sault woman accused of scratching, kicking and hitting employees with purse
A 36-year-old woman is facing assault charges after some unruly behaviour towards staff at Sault Ste. Marie building.
-
Sault police charge man, 30, with assault and making threat
A 30-year-old suspect is being held in custody on criminal charges in Sault Ste. Marie after an argument escalated Thursday afternoon.
-
One person in custody after Sault police respond to gun call Thursday
One person remains in custody and officials are searching for an aggressive dog that was subdued with a stun gun, Sault police said Thursday evening.
Ottawa
-
Montreal man dead after stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market
A man from Montreal is dead following a late night stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market.
-
Kingston mayor calls for care hub closure after fatal attack at nearby encampment
The mayor of Kingston, Ont. has issued a call to close the city's Integrated Care Hub on Montreal Street following a deadly incident on Thursday, but his comments have received some backlash from residents.
-
Somali community alarmed after Ottawa police officers wiretapped, watched
Members of Ottawa's Somali community came together Thursday to denounce the Ottawa police use of wiretaps and video surveillance on five of its own Black officers of Somali decent and their family members.
Toronto
-
Toronto crowd rallies to fight closure of supervised drug consumption sites
At least 100 people gathered outside the Kensington Market supervised consumption site in a rally to keep it open in the face of new provincial rules that would shut at least a dozen such sites down across Ontario.
-
Ontario's public broadcaster under scrutiny for funding, then pulling Russian war doc
Ongoing controversy over the documentary "Russians at War" has brought scrutiny to Ontario’s public broadcaster, which has said it will not air the film it helped fund.
-
Shooting in Etobicoke sends 1 to hospital: TPS
A man has been taken to hospital following a shooting in Etobicoke Friday afternoon.
Montreal
-
Worse than the ice storm: Tropical Storm Debby was 'costliest severe weather event in Quebec's history'
The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, which caused significant flooding in Quebec, have become the 'costliest severe weather event in Quebec's history,' surpassing the ice storm of 1998, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said Friday.
-
Former West Island baseball coach guilty of sexual assault on 13-year-old boy
Former West Island baseball coach Robert Litvack has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor he was hired to train.
-
Call for more Muslim professors: Quebec says anti-Islamophobia adviser must resign
The Quebec government renewed its call for Canada's special representative on combating Islamophobia to resign Friday, after she sent a letter to college and university heads recommending the hiring of more Muslim, Arab and Palestinian professors.
Atlantic
-
Missing N.S. woman believed dead; man charged with first-degree murder
Police in Nova Scotia now believe a woman reported missing earlier this month is dead, and a man has been charged in her disappearance.
-
N.S. premier to challenge federal plan to send thousands of asylum seekers to province
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is pushing against a federal government proposal that would more proportionately distribute the number of asylum seekers across Canada.
-
Alcohol, speed 'significant factors' in Fredericton crash that left 3 dead in May
The Fredericton Police Force says speed and alcohol were “significant factors” in a fatal collision that killed three people, including two teenagers, in May.
Winnipeg
-
1 dead, 3 injured in Friday morning crash on Portage Avenue
One person has died and three people were injured following a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at a Portage Avenue intersection Friday morning.
-
RCMP concerned about well-being of missing Manitoba man
Manitoba RCMP are asking for the public's help to find a missing man from Powerview-Pine Falls.
-
'Very surreal and just so special': Winnipegger stars in newest Apple commercial
Apple commercials typically showcase the latest and greatest gadgets from the tech giant – and one Winnipeg woman is using her appearance in a recent ad to highlight how living with a disability doesn’t slow her down.
Calgary
-
Calgarian pens play about party girl who wakes up blind, based on true events
Ashley King suddenly went blind while halfway around the world. Now, the 32-year-old has written a play about the ordeal. King wrote Static: A Party Girl's Memoir, and is also performing in a production of it.
-
'Better late than never': Alberta glad B.C. premier has changed stance on carbon tax
The Government of Alberta was glad to hear that British Columbia’s premier has changed his tune on the consumer carbon tax at the provincial level.
-
Former Alberta solicitor general, justice minister, to be sanctioned by the Law Society of Alberta
The Law Society of Alberta (LSA) will sanction former solicitor general and justice minister Jonathan Denis after a code of conduct committee found that he breached the code in two cases he worked on in his private law practice.
Edmonton
-
'Better late than never': Alberta glad B.C. premier has changed stance on carbon tax
The Government of Alberta was glad to hear that British Columbia’s premier has changed his tune on the consumer carbon tax at the provincial level.
-
Jasper state of local emergency ending; visitors asked to be respectful
Jasper is ending its local state of emergency as it gets ready to welcome back visitors and tourists.
-
Alberta town adopts new resident code of conduct to address staff safety
An Alberta town has laid out rules for how residents must treat municipal staff and the consequences if they step out of line.
Regina
-
Heavy equipment rollover near Ituna, Sask. causing delays
A heavy equipment rollover on Highway 52 near Ituna, Sask. has led to some traffic delays Friday afternoon.
-
Saskatchewan artist fundraising to help family whose son has genetic disease
A Regina based artist is using his platform to fundraise for the family of a young boy with a genetic disease.
-
Regina Pats' Whitehead becomes first CHL player to verbally commit to NCAA
Regina Pats' forward Braxton Whitehead has become the first major junior hockey player to verbally commit to playing in the Division 1 NCAA ranks after his Western Hockey League career ends.
Saskatoon
-
New OSB mill construction in Prince Albert set for 2025
After years of delays and planning, a new oriented strand board (OSB) mill is coming to Prince Albert.
-
RCMP investing suspicious death after body found in Sask. home
Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Unit is investigating a suspicious death on Big Island Lake Cree Territory.
-
Saskatoon police release image of grandparent scam suspect
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) is seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect in connection with a grandparent scam investigation.
Vancouver
-
Police watchdog called after suspect shot, woman injured in Merritt, B.C.
British Columbia's police oversight agency is investigating after two people were injured – including a suspect who was airlifted to hospital with serious gunshot injuries – during an altercation with Mounties in the B.C. Interior.
-
Son charged with B.C. woman's murder: RCMP
More than a year after a missing Kamloops, B.C., woman’s body was found, her son has been arrested and charged with her murder, Mounties announced Friday.
-
'Right on the edge of being extinct': Environmentalists, First Nation aim to stop B.C. ski resort in owl habitat
The Cheam First Nation and the Wilderness Committee are calling on the province to enforce protections for an endangered owl as a ski resort is proposed near Chilliwack.
Vancouver Island
-
Police investigating suspicious death in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties have launched a suspicious death investigation after a man was found dead Thursday in Nanaimo, B.C.
-
Police watchdog called after suspect shot, woman injured in Merritt, B.C.
British Columbia's police oversight agency is investigating after two people were injured – including a suspect who was airlifted to hospital with serious gunshot injuries – during an altercation with Mounties in the B.C. Interior.
-
Canada to deploy military patrol plane, 50 personnel to Japan
Canada will send a military patrol plane and approximately 50 personnel to Japan this month to support international sanctions on North Korea following that country's recent ballistic missile tests, Defence Minister Bill Blair announced Friday.
