Adam Ray Greenlaw, 43, pleaded guilty in July to 10 charges involving eight victims, including six girls who were under the age of 18 when they were victimizedPublished Oct 31, 20256 minute readCrown attorneys Josie McKinney, left, and Katie Lovett stand outside Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax on Friday during a break at Adam Ray Greenlaw’s sentencing hearing on charges of trafficking and sexually exploiting young females. Photo by Steve BruceArticle contentA Halifax man who used drugs, alcohol and violence to force young females into the sex trade has been handed a 15-year prison sentence.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAdam Ray Greenlaw, 43, was the first of six men picked up by police and charged in 2023 in an investigation into human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Halifax area.Article contentArticle contentGreenlaw pleaded guilty in Nova Scotia Supreme Court this July to 10 charges involving eight victims: two counts each of trafficking someone under the age of 18 for the purpose of exploiting them, sexual interference and sexual assault, and single counts of procuring someone to provide sexual services for consideration, procuring someone under the age of 18 to provide sexual services, making child pornography, and breaching release conditions.Article contentArticle contentHe was sentenced Friday in Halifax by Justice John Bodurtha, who accepted a joint recommendation from lawyers.Article content“Mr. Greenlaw’s offending conduct is serious and (requires) strong condemnation,” Bodurtha said. “The proposed sentence reflects the gravity of the offence and Mr. Greenlaw’s degree of responsibility. It meets the objectives of denunciation and deterrence.Article content“It is a fit and proper sentence and is not contrary to the public interest, nor would it bring the administration of justice into disrepute. … I see no need to deviate from it.”Article contentGreenlaw committed the offences over a one-year period between May 1, 2022, and April 28, 2023, when he was arrested. The identities of the victims are protected by a publication ban.Article contentSix of the complainants were under the age of 18 when they were abused, and two of those girls were only 14.Article contentArticle contentThe other victims were an 18-year-old and a 25-year-old Indigenous woman. One of the 14-year-olds was also racialized.Article contentFour of the girls were in the care of the province and living in a group home when they were targeted by Greenlaw.Article content“All of the victims were extraordinarily vulnerable,” Crown attorney Katie Lovett said in court Friday.Article content“Mr. Greenlaw consistently victimized and manipulated society’s most vulnerable population for his own sexual gratification and his own financial gain.”Article contentLovett said it’s evident from the three impact statements filed for the hearing that Greenlaw’s crimes had a profound effect on the victims.Article contentThe oldest victim, now 28, said she was looking forward to a new chapter in her life after she kicked her drug addiction and moved to Halifax from her reserve.Article content“But I met Adam Greenlaw and wasn’t aware that he preyed on young native women,” she said.Article contentGreenlaw isolated her from her family, she said, and fed her increasing amounts of drugs while forcing her into prostitution and taking all the money. She said he beat her up and threatened to kill her.Article content“The emotional trauma inflicted on me was hell. As Mi’kmaw women, we are givers of life. We are taught that our bodies are sacred and to be treated as such. Sexual relationships are to be experienced with someone you love and intended to have a family with.Article content“I was younger when this happened to me. Now I see how the accused was a disingenuous person, portraying himself as someone who was trying to help me settle in the city and be my friend, when his true intentions were to manipulate me into doing things I would have never done if I’d never met him. This left me feeling shame, anxiety and fear for my health and life. I also am no longer able to trust people, especially men.”Article contentArticle contentAnother victim, who was 15 when she was exploited and is now 18, said Greenlaw ruined her life.Article content“You made me never trust any men again, or anyone for that fact,” she wrote in her statement. “You ruined my family and the way that I looked at myself.Article content“I never deserved what you did to me. You took me for granted, and I am so happy that you are in jail now so you can’t hurt anyone else.”Article contentA third victim, who was 17 at the time and is now 20, was too traumatized to put her thoughts on paper, so an advocate who has assisted her was permitted to describe the effects on the young woman.Article contentThe advocate said the woman’s trauma “is exacerbated by the fact that she knows she will never fully recover from her experience.Article content“(Her) life was taken from her, but she has not died. … Nothing can replace what was taken from her. This experience has not only taken away her past; you’ve destroyed her hope for a normal future.”Article contentArticle contentThe judge said the statements were “heart-wrenching accounts of the emotional and physical impacts that Greenlaw’s actions had on the victims. The court cannot fathom the pain that each of them have experienced in the violation of their dignity.Article content“My words to those victims are that this is not your fault. You did not deserve to be hurt in this way. … This world can be a cruel place, and Mr. Greenlaw’s actions confirm that.Article content“But there is good in this world too. … You deserve the care, respect and compassion that this world can provide, and I hope you find it.”Article contentGreenlaw has eight previous convictions on his criminal record. In 2020, he received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine to a 15-year-old girl a few hours before she committed suicide.Article content Crown attorney Katie Lovett and defence lawyer Godfred Chongatera leave Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax on Friday during a break at Adam Ray Greenlaw’s sentencing hearing for trafficking and sexually exploiting young females. Photo by Steve BruceArticle contentDefence lawyer Godfred Chongatera said Greenlaw’s own addictions played a role in these offences. He said his client has been sober since his arrest, has completed programming while on remand and wants to continue his rehabilitation in prison so he can be a productive member of society after he is released.Article contentIn a presentence report, Greenlaw accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed remorse for the harm he has caused.Article contentGiven an opportunity to address the court Friday, Greenlaw apologized to the victims and their families.Article contentBodurtha told Greenlaw his offences have caused “profound harm.”Article content“These crimes represent a grave violation of trust and dignity,” the judge said. “They have inflicted lasting trauma, not only on the victims but upon their families and the broader community.Article content“The pain expressed by the victims is deep and enduring, and I take notice that this is the same for their families. It is clear that your deplorable actions have left emotional scars that may never fully heal.”Article contentBodurtha said the sentence is not merely a reflection of the law. “It is a reflection of the community’s condemnation of your conduct,” he said.Article contentArticle content“The court expects, as your counsel indicates, that you will engage meaningfully with the rehabilitative opportunities available to you. You have taken responsibility … through your words, but it is your actions that (will) demonstrate genuine remorse and a commitment to change. Your actions will speak louder than your words.Article content“Whether or not you choose to do so is up to you, but the consequences of your choices will follow you, as they have followed those you have harmed.”Article contentGreenlaw had remand credit of 1,377 days, leaving him with a net sentence of 11 years and almost three months. The judge ordered him to have no contact with the complainants or their families while he’s serving the sentence.Article contentBodurtha also compelled Greenlaw to provide a DNA sample for a national databank and imposed a pair of lifetime orders prohibiting him from possessing firearms and requiring him to register as a sex offender. After he gets out of prison, Greenlaw will also be subject to a 20-year order restricting contact with persons under the age of 16.Article contentArticle content“Today’s sentencing hearing reflects the seriousness of the charges and their devastating consequences on the survivors,” said Lovett, who prosecuted the case with Josie McKinney. “Having a guilty plea and joint recommendation saves the survivors from having to relive their trauma on the stand, and we are relieved for that.Article content“The sentence imposed today will not alleviate the harm caused to the survivors, but it will hold Mr. Greenlaw accountable and protect the public from further harm. The Crown commends the survivors for their bravery in coming forward and participating in this prosecution.”Article contentThree other men charged in the case have also entered guilty pleas in Supreme Court and are awaiting sentencing.Article contentCharges against two other individuals were dismissed earlier this year after the Crown announced it would not be offering any evidence against them.Article content
Halifax man gets 15-year sentence for trafficking, sexually exploiting young females
