An alleged human trafficker accused of prostituting four underage girls from a South Vancouver home has been granted bail.
Reza Moazami, 27, was arrested in October at the suspected bawdy house, and two young girls were taken into care. He's been charged with 18 criminal counts, including four charges of living on the avails of a juvenile, four counts of trafficking underage persons, two counts of sexual interference and four counts of sexual exploitation.
Moazami has been in police custody since his arrest, but it set to be released after a Vancouver provincial court judge agreed Thursday to grant his bail request on a $100,000 surety and strict conditions.
Crown prosecutors had argued for three days to keep him behind bars and they're considering whether to ask for a review of the bail decision.
"We think that here's a risk he won't comply with the terms of his release and we are indeed concerned about the victims and the witnesses in this case," prosecutor Damien Darby told CTV News.
The father of one of the alleged victims was outraged by the decision to grant Moazami bail.
"My daughter doesn't have bail. The damage is done. Why should he have a break? She doesn't get a break. She'll be stuck for the rest of her life with issues, with a problem," said the dad, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter.
Under the conditions of his bail, Moazami is not allowed to access communication devices like cell phones and computers, and must have no contact with the complainants in the case, as well as a list of known associates.
His case marks only the second time in Vancouver police history that human trafficking charges have been laid in a case involving sex trade workers, and the first involving youth.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mi-Jung Lee
