Six men now charged in Halifax human trafficking investigation

HALIFAX, N.S. — An investigation into the trafficking and sexual abuse of young women in the Halifax area that initially resulted in the arrest of one man in April has grown to include six accused.

Adam Ray Greenlaw, 40, of Halifax was the first man charged following a three-month investigation. He faces a total of 64 charges involving nine complainants.

Greenlaw is charged with nine counts of sexual assault and four counts each of sexual interference, procuring someone under the age of 18 to provide sexual services for consideration, and making and possessing child pornography.

He also faces three counts each of trafficking someone under 18 and receiving material benefit from that trafficking, assault with a weapon, advertising sexual services for consideration and distributing child pornography, and two counts each of sexual assault with a weapon, human trafficking, receiving material benefit from human trafficking, procuring someone to provide sexual services for consideration, receiving material benefit from those sexual services, invitation to sexual touching, assault, possession of a prohibited weapon, breaching a weapons prohibition and breaching release conditions.

Greenlaw is also charged with single counts of forcible confinement, uttering threats, assault causing bodily harm and property mischief.

In late May, police arrested Shane Jason Mahar, 49, of Trenton and Richard Walter Beaver, 34, of no fixed address.

Mahar is charged with two counts each of trafficking a person under the age of 18 and obtaining sexual services from someone under 18 and one count of possession of child pornography. Beaver faces one count of trafficking a person under 18.

More accused

New documents that were in court Thursday reveal three more men have been charged in the investigation. They include Kyle Shane Spicer Birchard, 30, of Dartmouth; Rodi Saarloos, 52, of Bedford; and Martin Allan Rangers, 43, of Dartmouth.

Birchard and Saarloos are both charged with obtaining sexual services from a person under 18 and possessing child pornography.

Rangers faces charges of sexual assault, obtaining sexual services from a person under 18, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.

Police allege the men committed the offences between May 2021 and April of this year. The nine alleged victims are in their teens or early 20s.

Greenlaw has not applied for bail. He appeared in court Thursday via a video link from jail.

Mahar, Saarloos, Beaver and Birchand are all free on bail with the Crown’s consent.

The Crown is opposing the release of Rangers, who has a 2017 manslaughter conviction from Calgary. He has applied to have a bail hearing next week.

Defence awaiting evidence

The charges against all six men will return to court Sept. 19. Crown attorney Alicia Kennedy told Judge Christine Driscoll there is a large amount of evidence to be disclosed to the defence lawyers and she hopes to have it to them soon.

Outside court, Kennedy said the investigators’ review of seized electronic devices has led to more people being charged.

“The allegations are that they were involved in the sexual exploitation of underage girls,” the prosecutor said of the six defendants. “Some have been charged with trafficking offences; some have been charged with obtaining sexual services from underage complainants.”

Kennedy said the accused are connected, “but I can’t say too much about that at this point. That will come out as the matter proceeds.”