SEX TRAFFICKING IN GEORGIA

Sex trafficking in Georgia is a hidden epidemic, preying on the vulnerable and leaving countless lives shattered. Behind closed doors, in hotels, motels, and other unsuspecting locations, this crime continues to rob individuals of their freedom and dignity.

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

If you or someone you care about has been a victim of sex trafficking in Georgia, you don’t have to carry the burden alone. Reach out to Levy Konigsberg today. Together, we can take a stand, fight for justice, and begin the journey toward healing.

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 Georgia

Examples of sex trafficking in New Jersey in recent years include:

• In September 2025, a Days Inn Hotel in metro Atlanta agreed to pay two survivors of child sex trafficking a combined $5 million to settle a federal lawsuit.  The survivors, both just 14 at the time, said they were sold for sex at the Stockbridge hotel in March 2013. They accused hotel staff of ignoring and, in some cases, facilitating the abuse.

• In July 2025, Tucker Inn Incorporated agreed to a $6 million settlement with a survivor of child sex trafficking who was abused at their hotel in 2015. Staff and owners allegedly ignored the abuse.

• In July 2025, a jury awarded $40 million to a victim of sex trafficking, alleging that Northbrook Industries, Inc., which owned the Decatur hotel United Inn & Suites, enabled the abuse that took place there between 2018 and 2019.  The victim was allegedly forced into sex trafficking in hotel rooms.  Over 40 days, about 12 men reportedly visited the same room each day.

• In May 2025, 19 individuals were arrested in a sting operation targeting sex traffickers in Henry County. These individuals allegedly targeted victims through social media and dating websites. One of the people arrested was politician Carl Sprayberry.

• In February 2025, more than a dozen people were arrested after a months-long human trafficking investigation in Southeast Georgia.

• In November 2024, two Liberty County hotels, Baymont by Wyndham Hinesville on Veterans Highway and Motel 6 Hinesville on General Screven Way, were charged with sex trafficking. They were accused of allegedly ignoring clear signs of abuse. The lawsuit against Baymont by Wyndham alleged that staff knew a 16-year-old girl was being trafficked at the hotel in June 2015. The girl was allegedly drugged, handcuffed to a bed, and sold for sex by two armed traffickers who used the hotel’s wi-fi to advertise her. Despite obvious signs of trafficking, like her malnourishment, constant towel requests, and a steady flow of men entering the room, staff allegedly went along with the traffickers’ requests and kept them in specific areas to avoid drawing attention.

• In November 2024, authorities arrested 13 people after a multi-agency undercover investigation into sex traffickers and buyers in the Macon and Bibb County area.

• In December 2023, Shreesh Tiwari, manager of the Budgetel Motel in Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for trafficking a victim with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or forced labor and ordered to pay $42,648 in restitution to seven individuals. Tiwari allegedly hired the victim as a maid at the motel, provided her with a room to live in, and required her to perform sex acts to remain at the motel.

• In April 2017, Severiano Martinez-Rojas pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking and admitted to being involved in trafficking three victims. He was the fourth member of an Atlanta-based Mexican sex trafficking ring accused of allegedly forcing young women from Mexico and Guatemala into prostitution. Two co-defendants, Arturo Rojas-Coyotl and Odilon Martinez-Rojas, pleaded guilty in 2014 and were sentenced in 2015 to 16 years and 21 years and 10 months in prison, respectively. They were also ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution to the victims. 

• In September 2013, Joaquin Mendez-Hernandez, the leader of a Savannah-based sex trafficking ring, pleaded guilty. The organization allegedly lured women from Mexico, Nicaragua, and other countries to the U.S. The women were allegedly threatened, abused, and forced into prostitution, sometimes with as many as 30 to 50 men a day. A total of 23 people were charged in connection with this trafficking operation. 

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 Georgia. 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.