VANCOUVER — A 27-year-old man is accused of trafficking underage girls after a south end brothel was busted earlier this month, police say.

Reza Moazami of Vancouver was arrested at a house on Oct. 7. Two of the girls were located inside the house and have been taken into care.

“Moazami was formally charged by the provincial Crown (on Tuesday), with a total of 18 criminal offences,” said Sgt. Rich Akin.

He said the offences began in February 2009, and involved four girls under 18 years of age.

“This is only the second time in Vancouver police history that human trafficking charges have been laid in a case of sex trade workers and the first involving youth,” he said.

The investigation is ongoing. Akin said police suspect Moazami may have been part of an “inter-provincial” human trafficking operation.

Moazami will appear in court Nov. 21.

Charges laid to date include four counts of trafficking in persons under the age of 18; four counts of sexual exploitation; four counts of living on the avails of a minor; four counts of living on the avails of a minor while using, threatening to use or attempting to use violence, intimidation/coercion; and two counts of sexual interference.