FORT MYERS, Fla. – A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against various hotel owners, alleging they not only facilitated human trafficking activities but also profited off them.
The plaintiff, who is referred to as Jane Doe M.O. in the complaint, is described as a Collier County resident and survivor of sex trafficking.
She filed her 76-page lawsuit June 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Fort Myers Division.
The named defendants include Sai Shyam Hotels LLC doing business as Motel 6 Fort Myers; Tiger Fort Myers Northeast LLC doing business as WoodSpring Suites; Shivam Sundaram Hotels LLC doing business as Red Roof Inn; Six Continents Hotels Inc., a company within the
InterContinental Hotels Group doing business as Candlewood Suites; Choice Hotels International Inc. doing business as Comfort Inn & Suites Naples, also known as Comfort Inn-Executive; and various John Does.
“Defendant Does, Johns are individuals and entities whose identities are presently unknown to Plaintiff and may have also contributed to the acts and omissions alleged herein,” the complaint states, noting that more parties may be added as discovery progresses..
The plaintiff is suing for human trafficking, negligence, and the “severe” physical, emotional, and financial harm that were a result of the defendants’ alleged “unlawful actions and omissions in facilitating human trafficking activities.”
“Plaintiff was the victim of severe exploitation, coerced into a life of trafficking, abuse, and controlled drug use within the Defendants’ premises,” the complaint states. “Despite being fully aware or negligent of failing to recognize the signs of such criminal activity, the Defendants allowed the trafficking and exploitation to continue unchecked.”
According to the filing, the plaintiff was repeatedly trafficked and subjected to “commercial sex acts” through force, fraud, and coercion from May 2019 to May 2023.
The hotels, she contends, turned a blind eye to the trafficking and, instead, profited off of the illegal activities.
“During this time, she was harbored and exploited within hotel and motel properties operated, managed, franchised, or owned by Defendants, who acted in concert to exploit her vulnerabilities,” the complaint states. “Hotel/mortal chains, through their employees, facilitated and profited from these activities by knowingly harboring and accommodating traffickers and their victims.”
The plaintiff contends the defendants failed to implement proper safeguards, investigate suspicious activities, or report crimes to authorities, thus causing “significant and long-lasting damage” to her.
She contends the defendants knew, or should have known, that traffickers use threats, coercion, and manipulation to force victims – including herself – into commercial sex acts within their hotel establishments.
“Despite clear indicators of trafficking-related activity, Defendants facilitated these crimes by renting rooms to traffickers, victims, and buyers, thereby directly participating in and profiting from the trafficking,” the complaint states. “They financially benefited through room revenues and franchise fees while neglecting to implement or enforce anti-trafficking policies.
“Defendants also failed in their duty to properly train staff – such as front desk personnel, housekeeping, security, and management – to recognize and respond to signs of sex trafficking, even though industry-specific guidelines and training materials have been available since at least 2012 through organizations like AHLA and ECPAT-USA.”
AHLA is the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the largest hotel association in the U.S. It serves as a resource and advocate for the American hospitality industry, its website states.
ECPAT-USA, which stands for End Child Prostitution and Trafficking, is the only international non-government organization network dedicated to the fight against the sexual exploitation of children, according to its website.
The plaintiff seeks judgment against each defendant in excess of $75,000, including economic damages; actual damages; compensatory damages; incidental or special damages; damages for emotional distress and mental anguish; past and future medical expenses; past and future mental distress; disgorgement of profits; unjust enrichment damages; exemplary, treble and/or punitive damages; attorneys fees; and punitive damages.
“This complaint seeks justice for the Plaintiff and holds the Defendants accountable for their role in the human trafficking operation and their neglect of duty in ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals within its premises,” the filing states.
The Law Offices of Travis R. Walker, based in Stuart, Fla., is representing the plaintiff.
Walker’s firm has filed similar lawsuits in regards to human trafficking.
Last year, his firm sued several hotel chains, Salesforce, and Backpage, alleging their involvement in child sex trafficking.
In a 152-page complaint filed in the U.S District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the South Florida-based law firm accused Salesforce, Backpage, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, IHG Hotels International Choice Hotels International – specifically Days Inn, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn & Suites located in Florida, where the young girl at the center of the case was trafficked and tortured – with aiding and abetting abhorrent child sex trafficking operations.
The lawsuit alleged Salesforce supplied the technological framework for the trafficking transactions; Days Inn, Holiday Inn, and Quality Inn offered the locations where the trafficking transpired; and Backpage stood as the prime purveyor of the advertisements.
“The allegations in this case represent a severe breach of human rights,” Walker said in an August 2024 press release. “This lawsuit highlights our dedication to securing justice for the victims and holding these corporations responsible for their actions.”
According to the release, a Days Inn in Philadelphia settled a similar suit in 2023, reaching a $24 million settlement with several victims of human trafficking, after allegations the hotel permitted the abuse of minors on its property.
