Is Hilton being sued for child trafficking?

In December 2019, victims in Houston filed three federal lawsuits alleging they were forced into sex trafficking inside South Texas hotels. The chains being sued include Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, dba LaQuinta Inn & Suites, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, dba Doubletree by Hilton, and Choice Hotels-Comfort Inn brands.



People Also Ask

Federal law, specifically the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), states that hotels and motels can be held liable (both civilly and criminally) for allowing sex trafficking to occur on their premises.

MORE DETAILS

Hotels and motels are a common venue for sex trafficking, due to ease of access for buyers, ability to pay in cash and maintain secrecy through finances, and lack of facility maintenance or upkeep expenses. Sex trafficking may occur with victims are compelled to provide commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion.

MORE DETAILS

Moreover, data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline shows that at least 7.7 percent of human trafficking cases reported in 2016 were based in hotels or motels, the most common location for the abuse to occur.

MORE DETAILS

Human Trafficking Indicators
  • Living with employer.
  • Poor living conditions.
  • Multiple people in cramped space.
  • Inability to speak to individual alone.
  • Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed.
  • Employer is holding identity documents.
  • Signs of physical abuse.
  • Submissive or fearful.


MORE DETAILS