A slew of hotels and motels in Collier County, Florida, were recently hit with a major sex trafficking lawsuit, alleging that management did nothing to stop sex trafficking that occurred on the premises in 2015 and 2016, despite obvious signs.

22 hotels and motels in Collier County have been named in the sex trafficking lawsuit. Owners of these businesses maintain that they were not aware of any sex trafficking taking place in their hotels and motels. Some went so far as to claim this sex trafficking never even occurred.

“We didn’t see any suspicious activity. If we do see it, we always call,” said Yogeshkumar Patel, who owns the Glades Motel, named in the lawsuit. “We’re always here. We watch everybody. We don’t allow in-and-out people. We don’t allow unregistered people to stay.”

But Naples, Florida—well-known as a retreat for wealthy, powerful people—also has a darker, seedier side, which includes ongoing issues with sex trafficking and heroin addiction. According to the Florida Attorney General’s office, Florida ranks third in the nation for the number of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

This current hotel sex trafficking lawsuit came out of an earlier criminal case in Collier County, which resulted in two sex traffickers being sent to prison last year. This lawsuit alleges that the management of the hotels and motels it names were aware of sex trafficking taking place on their premises, but ignored the obvious signs of trafficking in order to profit from the rooms used and paid for by the victims and traffickers.

This Collier County sex trafficking lawsuit joins a number of others that have been filed across the country against hotels and motels over similar claims.

The plaintiffs who brought this lawsuit against the group of hotels are from the area, who were victims of sex trafficking and were trafficked at these hotels. The women remained anonymous in the lawsuit, identified only by their initials.

The lawsuit claims that women trafficked in these hotel rooms were forced to provide sex to as many as 20 men in a single day. Other than the many different people entering rooms throughout the day, other obvious signs of trafficking included women with marks from drug injections and clearly under the influence of heroin, rooms that smelled and were littered with signs of drugs and sex, as well as, on occasion, blood.

The lawsuit was filed after a new Florida law went into effect, mandating that hotel, motel, and massage parlor owners properly train employees to spot these and other signs of human trafficking and subsequently report them.

A 2018 law that would have helped pave an easier path for sex trafficking victims to sue hotels and other businesses that facilitated their trafficking died under pressure from the hotel industry.

Among the businesses named in the lawsuit were several large chains, including Marriott International Hilton, Intercontinental Hotels, Choice Hotels, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. Spokespeople for these chains said that they do not comment on pending litigation. Small, independent hotels and motels were also named in the lawsuit.

If you were a victim of human trafficking and were forced to work at a hotel or motel, or another venue like a truck stop, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by human trafficking, but it can at least offer some kind of compensation, as well as hold those responsible accountable for their actions—and inactions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

If you were a victim of sex trafficking and forced to work at a truck stop, hotel or motel, night club or other hotel venue, you may be eligible to move forward with a civil investigation against these businesses. This investigation involves a civil case, and is not a criminal case against you or your loved ones.

Top Class Actions is working with experienced human trafficking attorneys who will be informed and sensitive to your situation. Join the fight by filling out the short form on this page. 

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