Quebec gives Longueuil $625k to fight sexual exploitation

The provincial government announced Friday it will invest $625,000 to fight sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Longueuil.

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The funding will be used to improve current services, hirea co-ordinatorand to finance on-the-ground work.

Longueuilwill receive the funding over a five-year period as part of Quebec's larger project,PrventionJeunesse.

The city is one of five locations across the province that will receive funding under Prvention Jeunesse.

Quebec Municipal Affairs MinisterMartinCoiteuxsays the money will helpdevelop additional tools and bridge communicationbetween community, police and institutional forces to stop the sexual exploitation of minors.

"The government wants to foster better co-ordination of actions to prevent, detect and act on sexual exploitation of young girls in Longueuil," Coiteux said in a statement.

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The investment will also be used to give a second life to Projet Mobilis, a community-based program thatfights the sexual exploitation of young girls, after its funding was cut in April.