Halifax woman’s trial on human trafficking charges set for April 2024

HALIFAX, N.S. — A young woman from Halifax accused of forcing a teenage girl to work in the sex trade will stand trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court next spring.

Chloe Wile, 20, faces 20 charges, including trafficking a person under the age of 18, receiving material benefit from that trafficking, extortion, procuring a person under 18 to provide sexual services for consideration, receiving material benefit from those sexual services, advertising sexual services, forcible confinement and two counts each of assault, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and property mischief.

The offences were allegedly committed between October 2020 and November 2021. The identity of the complainant is protected by a publication ban.

A one-day preliminary inquiry was held in Halifax provincial court in July, with Wile consenting to committal to trial. The Crown called evidence at that hearing from three people, including the complainant.

Dates for Wile’s jury trial were set last week, when defence lawyer Josh Nodelman appeared in Supreme Court in Halifax on her behalf. Justice Denise Boudreau scheduled the trial for 10 days beginning April 15, 2024.

Wile was released on a $4,000 bail order in November 2022 and placed on house arrest at her surety’s residence in Upper Chelsea, Lunenburg County.

She cannot possess or use a cellphone or any other device capable of connecting to the internet unless she is in the “immediate physical presence” of her surety.

Wile is also prohibited from possessing or consuming drugs, communicating with or being around anyone under the age of 18, having contact with the complainant and one other Crown witness, and possessing any weapon as defined by the Criminal Code.

She can only use a knife for food preparation or consumption or in the immediate course of her employment.