Sex Trafficking Liability Law

Sex Trafficking Hotel & Motel Liability

Were you a victim of sex trafficking? Contact the experienced attorneys at Edmond & Lindsay for a free consultation today.

If you or someone you care about was the victim of sex trafficking, our caring and committed attorneys can help. You might be looking for ways in which you could hold liable parties accountable for the harm that you suffered. Depending on the details surrounding your current situation, you might have grounds to sue a hotel or motel for the sexual trafficking that you suffered. If you would like to learn more about the possibility of pursuing a claim against a hotel or a motel, do not hesitate to contact the offices of Edmond & Lindsay. We will review your case for free and with absolute confidentiality. Edmond & Lindsay, with a founding partner who is also a medical doctor, has the experience and expertise to help when criminal charges are not enough. 

What Is Sex Trafficking?

Sex trafficking is defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act as, “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of commercial sex.” While adults may be compelled to perform commercial sex, by law children under the age of 18 who are induced to engage in commercial sex are considered victims of sex trafficking.

According to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 5,544 reported cases of human trafficking in 2015 in the U.S. alone, 1,621 of which involved minors. For all cases, 75% involved sex trafficking. It is estimated that between 15,000 to 50,000 women and children are forced into sexual slavery in the United States every year, the majority of which occur at hotels, motels and within the hospitality industry. 

Sex Trafficking in Hotels and Motels

According to the 2020 Federal Human Trafficking Report published by the Human Trafficking Institute, 170 federal human trafficking lawsuits were initiated against hotels in 2019 and 2020, including a series of high-profile lawsuits against some of the largest and most well-known international hotel management and franchise companies.

When traffickers rent a room in a hotel and the staff and management ignore clear signs of trafficking, the hotel is benefiting financially from the sex trafficking. Under these circumstances, victims of sex trafficking can hold the hotel liable under federal law. By holding hotels accountable, you can be compensated for your suffering and these large chains will take steps to ensure trafficking does not occur in their properties in the future.

Some of the indicators of sex trafficking in a hotel or motel include: 

• Guests staying in a room for long periods of time, while refusing housekeeping services
• High traffic to rooms throughout the day
• Many men passing through the hotel that never checked in
• Girls and boys checking into a hotel with older men
• Rooms being paid for with cash
• People with visible signs of abuse

Where the conditions described above continue for lengthy periods of time or are repeated with frequency, a hotel that does not contact law enforcement may be intentionally overlooking the sex trafficking to generate greater revenue through room rentals.

TVPRA/You Could Sue the Hotel or Motel for Money Damages