According to a recent sex trafficking lawsuit filed by a victim of forced prostitution, several popular hotel chains in the United States were complicit in her abuse.

According to the sex trafficking lawsuit filed in Portland in December 2019, hotel chains including Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott, Choice Hotels, Extended Stay America, and Red Lion Hotels have failed to take adequate care in identifying and preventing sex traffickers from operating inside of their hotels.

Plaintiff A.B. is a 22-year-old woman who claims she was sexually trafficked at hotels in Oregon and Washington between September 2012 through March 2013. According to A.B., her trafficker would wait in a car or in the hotel lobby while she was forced to have sex with at least seven men per night.

A.B. claims that the hotel chains she is suing failed to take steps to prevent her exploitation, despite what she calls the open and obvious presence of sex trafficking taking place inside of the hotels.

Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Says Hotels Missed Signs of Exploitation

According to A.B., these hotels ignored signs of sexual exploitation and trafficking such as her lack of eye contact, the short duration of her stay, and bottles of lubricants, boxes of condoms, and used condoms in the room, as well as excessive requests for clean towels and linens.

Other signs of trafficking that the hotels allegedly failed to notice included A.B.’s pimp paying for the room, while A.B. was the one staying at the hotel, as well as the amount of unregistered men visiting her hotel room each night.

A.B. is seeking $10 million in compensatory, noneconomic, and punitive damages from the hotel chains listed as defendants in her lawsuit. Additionally, her lawsuit may be bringing attention to a widespread problem and may help to hold companies that have been complicit in human trafficking accountable.

According to her lawsuit, countless other trafficked women may have been harmed by hotels that failed to identify them as victims of human trafficking, as over 60 percent of all trafficking incidents in the country may happen inside of hotels.

The hotel chains have not commented on the case, except to claim that staff members have been trained to recognize the signs of human trafficking and that the companies do not condone this illegal activity inside of their hotels according to The Daily Mail.

Legal Aid May Be Available for Sex Trafficking Victims

Victims of sex trafficking that took place inside of hotel rooms may be able to hire a qualified attorney to represent them in filing cases against major hotel chains that may have been complicit in their abuse. Sex trafficking lawsuits have been filed against hotel chains in California, Georgia, Ohio, and Washington.

Victims who were not only exploited by their traffickers but also ignored by staff at hotel chains including Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott, Choice Hotels, Extended Stay America, and Red Lion Hotels may be able to pursue compensation, as well as raise awareness around this issue.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.