Ont. children's camp owner and her convicted sex offender husband arrested in human trafficking investigation

A convicted sex offender living on the same property as a summer camp for children with autism in Essa Township was arrested, along with his wife, in a human trafficking investigation two days after Ontario Provincial Police issued a rare public advisory about him.

Lauriston Maloney, 42, and Amber Maloney, 36, were taken into police custody on Wednesday morning and charged with multiple offences related to recruiting, exercising control, exploitation, assault, forcible confinement, and financial benefit from committing a crime.

A publication ban is in place, limiting what details can be published.

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Police said Lauriston Maloney had previously been convicted of multiple charges related to trafficking and sexual offences involving minors.

His wife, Amber Maloney, owns and operates Beating the Odds IBI & Child Development Services, which offers services for children on the autism spectrum from her 8th Line property.Amber and Lauriston Maloney are pictured in this undated photo. (Source: Facebook)In a statement to CTV News, the Officer of the Solicitor General wrote, "This individual who was convicted of such reprehensible crimes should never be around vulnerable children again. Allowing him to roam freely around our communities and potentially put more children in danger is a failing of our justice system.

Working with law enforcement, we have served a protection order on this unlicensed facility prohibiting this individual from being on the premise while children in care are present and would encourage all parents to keep away from this facility."

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education issued a protection order, which states in part, "Upon conducting an inspection, I believe on reasonable grounds that there is an imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of any children for whom child care is provided."

The ministry ordered the camp to stop providing child care at the location immediately.

Laureli Barrett was a client of Beating the Odds for the past year and said she paid roughly $70,000 for her son's services.

"The owner was phenomenal. She was friendly," she said.

Barrett said she removed her son from the camp on Monday following the OPP's public advisory.

"I was shocked and enraged at first, and then my emotions kicked in, and I felt betrayed that my son was allowed to be in the presence of this man for a year and a half," Barrett said. "It was a slap in the face."A child holds a sign during a protest outside the property of a camp for children with autism where a convicted sex offender resides on Wed., July 19, 2023. (Supplied)

In an interview with CTV News on Tuesday, Lauriston Maloney said he never interacted with the children at the camp, which Barrett argued was a lie.

"He's had direct contact with my son," she said. "He offered to drive my son home," adding, "I see him there three to four times a week, whether it be in the mornings or afternoon."

Police say Amber Maloney is also facing charges of administering a noxious substance, committing fraud over $5,000 and uttering a forged document.

The Maloneys also face an extensive non-communication order with any alleged victims or witnesses. They are also not allowed to have direct communication with one another.

The allegations against the accused have not been tested in court.

Lauriston and Amber Maloney are scheduled for bail hearings later this week.

Late Wednesday evening, the OPP confirmed the children of the Beating the Odds camp were not victims in this investigation.