COLLIER COUNTY — A new lawsuit, just filed in Collier County, shows a sex trafficking ring was operating in more than 20 different hotels for years.
Now, the victims are suing the hotel chains for $100 million in damages for not doing something about it. The brands named in the lawsuit include Best Western,
La Quinta, Fairfield Inn, and Gulf Coast Inn.
“Our position is, basically, the hotels turned a blind eye. They knew, or they should have known, but it was an economic factor for them. These hotel rooms were being rented out," said attorney Sharon Hanlon, who is representing the victims.
She said the hotels are at fault because the signs were unmistakable.
“Male traffickers were paying for the room with cash, and they would do it day by day, because they never knew when they were going to be raided on by the cops or anything," said Hanlon.
And the lawsuit shows, in some cases, staff at the hotels didn’t just allow abuse, they joined in.
“We’re aware that some of the staff were participating in sex with them, and or buying drugs," said Hanlon.
Over at the Abused Women and Children’s shelter in Naples, C.E.O. Linda Oberhaus said, when those victims finally get free, they often end up in their care.
“I think that this lawsuit is going to be very important to really holding our hotels and our motels here in Collier County accountable for ensuring that all of their guests are safe," said Oberhaus.
The shelter is in the process of building a new facility with 60 more beds, because the number of victims is growing. Hanlon said her case is growing too.
“We’re continuing to talk to other women, we’re continuing to expand. So we may be filing amended or new lawsuits with new women, because as this has become more publicized, other women have approached us," said Hanlon.
We did reach out to several of the large hotel chains who are involved in this lawsuit. The only one to get back to us was Marriott. The company said it does not comment on pending lawsuits.
