SEX TRAFFICKING IN CALIFORNIA

Sex trafficking is a horrific crime which causes victims to be stripped of their freedom, dignity, and safety. In California, the state with the highest number of human trafficking cases in the nation, this crisis is alarmingly close to home.

At Levy Konigsberg, we are fighting for survivors of sex trafficking in California, including survivors who experienced sex trafficking in hotels and motels, and in any other facility or location.

If you or a loved one have been hurt by sex trafficking in California, it’s vital to know that help is available. Together, we can shine a light on this dark reality. Contact Levy Konigsberg today.

What is Sex Trafficking?

• Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking where a person is forced to perform sexual acts by threats, coercion, or intimidation. If a child under the age of 18 is made to engage in for-profit sexual activity, regardless of the use of force or threatened coercion, the perpetrator is guilty of violating federal law. Any offender who partakes in sex trafficking by recruiting, sheltering, transporting, advertising, or soliciting victims to provide commercial sexual services is guilty of a federal crime. Perpetrators of sexual trafficking crimes often transport victims through commercial airports and other forms of public transportation to hotels, motels, salons and sporting events to engage in coerced sexual activity.

Legislation Provides Criminal and Civil Liability to Perpetrators

• Businesses and institutions that engage in sex trafficking are now subject to state and federal civil claims brought by victims of trafficking schemes. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (“Act”), which has been amended several times since its inception, provides that human trafficking is a crime under the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. The Act assigns criminal liability to perpetrators who receive sexual services from those forced into trafficking. It also authorizes victims to file civil claims against businesses and institutions that “knowingly benefit from their participation in what they knew or should have known” was sex trafficking activities.

Sex Trafficking in Hotels and Motels

• Hotels and motels across the country have become some of the most common places of abuse for survivors of human trafficking and sex trafficking, according to Homeland Security Investigations. The Polaris Project, a nonprofit fighting sex trafficking, reported that nearly 9,000 victims of sex trafficking identified hotels as the places where the trafficking and abuse occurred. Hotels and motels have a responsibility to identify and act upon red flags for sexual abuse and trafficking occurring in their rooms and on their property.

• Lawsuits targeting major hotel chains have proliferated in recent years, spurred by the expanded rights afforded under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Over the past two years, a wave of litigation has swept across the nation, with trafficking survivors taking legal action against prominent hotel brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Wyndham. These lawsuits allege that these hotels were either aware of or should have been aware of the presence of sex trafficking and exploitation on their premises, and that they profited from these illicit activities. Several of these legal battles have culminated in substantial financial settlements.

• When hotels are implicated in human trafficking, lawsuits may ensue, initiated either by the victims themselves or by governmental bodies. Typically, these legal actions assert that the hotel failed to implement adequate measures to prevent trafficking or neglected to report suspected instances to the authorities. Moreover, hotels may be held responsible for the damages inflicted upon trafficking victims, encompassing physical and psychological harm, lost income, and other associated losses.

• To combat human trafficking effectively, hotels are expected to establish robust anti-trafficking protocols, encompassing employee training to identify and report signs of trafficking, the implementation of monitoring systems to detect suspicious activities, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies during trafficking investigations. Moreover, hotels should have been cognizant of resources such as the End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA) guidelines and the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct, as well as advisories from the Department of Homeland Security, which outline indicators of human trafficking, including signs of physical neglect, constant surveillance, and unusual requests for housekeeping services without room entry. Failure to adhere to these standards may render hotels liable for their complicity in facilitating trafficking.

• In many instances, the negligence exhibited by hotels appears deliberate, with knowledge of sex trafficking coupled with a deliberate disregard for addressing it. Numerous customer reviews of these establishments contain complaints from guests regarding overt prostitution and human trafficking activities transpiring within the premises, underscoring the willful blindness exhibited by these hotels.

History of Sex Trafficking in California

Examples of sex trafficking in California in recent years include:

• In February 2025, a woman filed a lawsuit against hotels and motels in Los Angeles and Texas, claiming that they allowed her to be sex trafficked and raped nearly 1000 times as a minor.  The victim alleged she was forced into sex trafficking at eight hotels run by three chains across Los Angeles and Texas. The hotels named in the lawsuit include Motel 6 locations in Westlake and Gardena, a Studio 6 in Dallas, a Red Roof Inn in Houston, a Days Inn by Wyndham, and a Super 8 by Wyndham. The lawsuit alleges that Motel 6 franchisor G6 Hospitality LLC, Wyndham Hotel Group, and Red Roof Inn were responsible because staff allegedly knew of the abuse and the policies of the hotels allowed the abuse to occur there.  Staff allegedly ignored obvious signs of abuse like visible bruising, malnourishment, her drugged state, and her inappropriate clothing. Staff also allegedly witnessed the victim being trafficked, helped her trafficker commit the crime, and in some instances, watched her as she was allegedly being raped or participated in the rape themselves.

• In February 2025, a statewide operation in California rescued 177 human trafficking victims and led to the arrest of 547 suspects. In Los Angeles County, over 230 arrests were made. The operation rescued 11 minors and identified 166 adults as trafficking victims. 

• In January 2025, a lawsuit was filed against Oakland Airport Hotel Ltd. by a woman who was allegedly sex trafficked as a minor in 2023 at the Oakland Airport Executive Hotel. According to the lawsuit, the hotel should have noticed and acted upon several red flags for trafficking, including constant foot traffic to and from the rooms and that the victim was seen looking exhausted, unkempt, bruised, underweight, and wearing revealing clothes. The room also allegedly showed obvious signs of sex trafficking.

• In May 2024, a study revealed that an estimated 13,000 people were allegedly sex trafficked in the Sacramento area between 2015 and 2020.
• In October 2024, a large sex trafficking sting in Sacramento County allegedly led to the arrest of 122 people. Two 16-year-old teens who had allegedly been forced into prostitution were also rescued.

• In May 2024, Michael Deon Fulcher was sentenced for sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and transporting someone across state lines for prostitution. Between April and June 2020, Fulcher allegedly forced a victim into commercial sex using sexual assault, threats, isolation, psychological manipulation, and emotional abuse. He allegedly lured the victim into his car and sexually assaulted her at his home. He then allegedly took her to California, where he and another individual, Jonzie Hamilton, allegedly forced her to engage in commercial sex for several weeks. He also allegedly sent the victim and Hamilton across the country to engage in commercial sex, traveling through states including Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

• In December 2023, it was reported that minors as young as 12 were allegedly victims of sex trafficking in Santa Barbara County. Since 2017, 229 survivors of sex trafficking have been identified in the area, with 30% under the age of 18 and 41% being Santa Barbara residents. According to the FBI, California has the highest number of human trafficking cases in the United States.

Do I Have a Case?

You may have grounds to file a civil legal action if you were a victim of sex trafficking.

As civil claims, these cases are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse and focus instead on holding institutions liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged with or convicted of a crime.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Sex Trafficking Statute of Limitations

A statute of limitations sets deadlines for victims to bring claims against their abuser or entities responsible for the abuse. On September 16, 2022, federal legislation entitled “The Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022” was enacted.  The Act eliminates the statute of limitations for a minor victim of certain federal human trafficking or sex offenses.  Under prior law, the statute of limitations for these claims was no later than 10 years after the date on which the plaintiff reasonably discovers the violation or injury, whichever occurs later, that forms the basis for the claim, or no later than 10 years after the date on which the victim reaches 18 years of age.  While the Act took effect on September 16, 2022, it does not revive claims that would have already been barred as of September 15, 2022 by the prior statute of limitations.  The Act only applies to claims or actions not previously barred that arise after September 16, 2022.  

To understand the statute of limitations for your case, it's essential to consult with an experienced lawyer. At Levy Konigsberg, our attorneys specialize in handling both childhood sexual abuse cases and adult sexual abuse cases. We can assess the merits of your potential case and determine how the statute of limitations specifically applies to the facts of your case.

Sex trafficking is a horrifying and inhumane crime that continues to plague communities in California. It robs individuals of their dignity, freedom, and safety, leaving behind a trail of pain and devastation. 

At Levy Konigsberg, we are here to help survivors of sex trafficking navigate their path to justice and healing.