Life (with aggravating conduct) / 14 years otherwise
Trafficking in persons is a straight indictable offence with a 14-year maximum, rising to life imprisonment where the offender kidnaps, commits aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault, or causes the death of the victim. It is serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1)(a) and can also engage organized criminality under s.37. The victim’s consent is no defence.
(1) Every person who recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation is guilty of an indictable offence and liable (a) to imprisonment for life and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of five years if they kidnap, commit an aggravated assault or aggravated sexual assault against, or cause death to, the victim during the commission of the offence; or (b) to imprisonment for a term of not more than 14 years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of four years in any other case. (2) No consent to the activity that forms the subject-matter of a charge under subsection (1) is valid.