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
NEW Affordability crisis could be reaching its peak in Canada, economist says
With Canada's annual inflation rate reaching the central bank's two per cent target, the country's affordability crisis could be peaking, according to an economist.
NEW Taylor Swift previously said she was uninspired to include politics in her music. Now, she's singing a different tune
In 2011, a young Taylor Swift said she was not inspired to sing about topics related to politics. Over a decade later, she's singing a different tune.
How to prevent lung cancer, regardless of whether you smoke, according to a doctor
More people who have never touched a cigarette are getting lung cancer, but there are ways to prevent it, according to a doctor.
Bride's family speaks as West Vancouver woman sentenced for driving SUV into wedding party
Sixty-five-year-old Hong Xu, who drove her SUV into a crowd of people celebrating a wedding at her next-door neighbour's house in West Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2022, has been sentenced under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.
This airport landing is so challenging only 50 pilots are qualified to do it
Bhutan's Paro International Airport (PBH) is widely considered one of the most technically difficult plane landings in the world. Maneuvering onto a short runway between two 18,000-foot peaks requires both technical knowledge and nerves of steel.
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
'Say it to my face': Singh confronts heckling protester on Parliament Hill
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted a protester for calling him a 'corrupted bastard' on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
Why it's 'very hard' to find work in Canada
Vacancies have steadily fallen since the glut of nearly one million open posts in 2022. At the time, one in three businesses had trouble hiring staff due to a labour shortage. Since then, vacancies have dropped.
Hezbollah hit by a wave of exploding pagers and blames Israel. At least 9 dead, thousands injured
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people.