Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Alleges Complicity of Hawthorne Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham Hotel
Hawthorne Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham Hotel in Dallas County, Texas, is under legal scrutiny in a sex trafficking lawsuit filed on behalf of a 16-year-old girl. The lawsuit claims the hotel knowingly facilitated illegal activities in the case.
The Fortenberry Firm PLLC, representing a 16-year-old victim of sex trafficking, has filed a civil lawsuit against Hawthorne Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham Hotel in Dallas County, Texas. The lawsuit alleges that the hotel knowingly facilitated sex trafficking activities.
The victim, from Baytown, Texas, was coerced by a 32-year-old male who lured her to Dallas and exploited her for prostitution at the hotel. The male trafficker took explicit photos of the victim and posted them on online platforms for prostitution. He supplied her with condoms and illicit drugs, forcing her to engage in sexual activities with multiple men daily.
The lawsuit further claims that the hotel staff and security were aware of the situation. The victim reported that the trafficker told her the hotel personnel would notify him if the girls left their room. Online reviews also hinted at sex trafficking activities at the hotel, yet no action was taken by the hotel staff.
After four weeks of captivity, the Dallas Police Department rescued the victim following a tip-off from an online advertisement for sex that matched her description. The police arrested the trafficker using an undercover officer who set up a date with the victim.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Zeke Fortenberry, highlighted the crucial role of hotels in recognizing and preventing sex trafficking. He criticized the hotel for ignoring the signs of sex trafficking and called for the enforcement of anti-sex trafficking policies.
A 2014 study indicated that 92% of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline involved reports of sex trafficking at hotels. The lawsuit aims to hold the corporate entities accountable, who knowingly benefitted from the trafficking. Fortenberry added, “In order to combat the sex trafficking epidemic, we must look beyond the pimps and sex buyers, and hold accountable the other individuals and entities who facilitate and benefit from sex trafficking.”
The lawsuit was initially filed in Dallas County and is now being transferred to the statewide multidistrict litigation group of cases in Harris County, focusing exclusively on trafficking.
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