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
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, despite 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.
'I couldn't form the words': 23-year-old Ont. woman highlights 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.
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.
What's behind the boom? The Manitoba community that nearly doubled in a decade
For decades, the Town of Ste. Anne was stagnant, but that all changed about 10 years ago. Now it is seeing one of the highest spikes of growth in the province.
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.
Loblaw using body-worn cameras at 2 Calgary stores as part of pilot project
Loblaw is launching a pilot program that will see employees at two Calgary locations don body-worn cameras in an effort to increase safety.
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.
Canadian warship seizes 1,400 kilos of cocaine off Central America
A Canadian warship has seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-drug-trafficking operation in Central America.