Atlanta’s Hotels Are a Haven for Child Sex Traffickers

• June 4, 2024
• Attorney Matt Stoddard
• Sexual Assault & Trafficking

Child sex trafficking has become a major cause for concern across Atlanta and surrounding cities. Children are being exploited and taken advantage of when they need help most. However, with help from a compassionate and devoted legal advocate, minor children and young adults who were victims of child sex trafficking can demand justice.

You have an opportunity to take back control of your future. Atlanta hotels have become known as a haven for child sex traffickers. With help from your Atlanta human trafficking lawyer at The Stoddard Firm, you may be able to hold these hotels accountable for their negligence and misconduct. Contact our legal team today to learn more about your options and get the support you need during this difficult time in your life.

Table Of Contents

• The Stoddard Firm Advocates for Victim’s Rights
• The Stoddard Firm Difference
• Atlanta Child Sex Trafficking at a Glance
• VICTIMS USUALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE
• SEX TRAFFICKING RELIES ON THE COMPLICITY OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
• Child Sex Trafficking Victims Can Demand Justice
• Turn to Atlanta’s Leading Sexual Abuse Law Firm for Help

The Stoddard Firm Advocates for Victim’s Rights

Your Atlanta sexual abuse lawyer from The Stoddard Firm has extensive experience advocating for victim’s rights. We handle a wide variety of injury claims and are passionate about serving those who have been taken advantage of, helping them to pick up the pieces of their lives. We only take on a select number of cases at a time to ensure each injury victim gets the attention and care they deserve.

You will have access to our considerable resources and legal knowledge as we pursue justice and hold hotels, child sex traffickers, and anyone who facilitated the abuse you endured accountable. We will work fearlessly to uncover the truth. Our team invests the energy needed to prove how this abuse has permanently altered the course of your life. You can rely on us to become your biggest advocate both in and out of the courtroom, using our strategically aggressive advocacy to get you the most out of your claim.

The Stoddard Firm Difference

Once you escape the dangers of child sex trafficking and start to look toward a brighter future, taking legal action against the perpetrators of your abuse may be one of your top priorities. However, not all victims are ready to pursue the compensation they deserve. The Stoddard Firm stands up and advocates for victims of child sex trafficking so they can protect their anonymity and get the emotional support they need.

Let us handle the legalities of your case so you do not have to. We will carefully investigate and work tirelessly to gather the evidence needed to support your case. We are not afraid to negotiate with the hotel’s insurance provider to maximize your payout. If necessary, we will bring your case to trial so you have the greatest opportunity to rebuild your life.

Atlanta Child Sex Trafficking at a Glance

Ever since the publication of the Urban Institute’s 2014 report on the illegal sex trade, the city of Atlanta has been trying to shake the unofficial title of “Sex Trafficking Capital of the U.S.” Although it would take more research into the nationwide issue of sex trafficking to prove that Atlanta is in fact the worst offender, the report did reveal Atlanta’s sex trafficking problem to be far larger than most locals would ever have guessed. As of 2007, the illegal sex industry was worth an estimated $290 million within Atlanta alone.

Both adults and children, male and female, are at risk of sex trafficking, but adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable. According to the Center for Public Policy Studies, about 374 underage girls are sold for sexual exploitation every month in Georgia, about 65% of them located in the Atlanta region. The average starting age is somewhere between 12 and 14.

Victims Usually Have No Idea What Their Options Are

Sex trafficking is described as “the use of force, coercion or deception to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, or maintain, another person for the purpose of commercial sexual activities,” according to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office. This practice takes many forms and rarely matches the kidnapping scenario many people imagine. As a result, many sex trafficking victims do not even realize that the label applies to them. Sex traffickers use a variety of manipulation techniques to convince their victims to keep quiet and continue working for them, including:

• Promising a better life in the future
• Controlling victims’ finances
• Posing as modeling/acting scouts
• Holding glamor photo shoots to connect victims’ self-esteem with sex work
• Threatening violence toward victims and their families
• Pretending to have a romantic interest in their victims
• Encouraging and exploiting fear of law enforcement.

This final tactic has, unfortunately, been reinforced by law enforcement at times. As recently as 2000, victims of sex trafficking in Georgia were treated as perpetrators of prostitution regardless of age in some local jurisdictions. While sex trafficking in Atlanta is still rampant, the legal status of victims has improved significantly. Anyone engaging in sexual acts while underage or coerced is no longer guilty of prostitution under Georgia Code § 16-6-9.

Under the updated laws, one 15-year-old took her chance to summon police to the Marietta hotel, where she and other victims were being held. Her four captors are now charged with multiple counts of child sex trafficking, each carrying a minimum sentence of 25 years.

Sex Trafficking Relies on The Complicity of Hotel Management

Experienced sex traffickers are good at maintaining anonymity, but there are other guilty parties hiding in plain sight. Sex traffickers do business primarily in hotels, often with the approval of the owner, manager, or desk clerk. The Urban Institute’s study found that keeping “good relationships” with local hotels is standard practice.

Some hotel managers take bribes, while others turn a blind eye to avoid alienating a huge portion of their client base. Harboring child sex trafficking is a felony under O.C.G.A. 16-5-46, and these hotel owners are liable for the sexual violence taking place on their property.

Child Sex Trafficking Victims Can Demand Justice

When you are ready to create the best possible future for yourself, you may be ready to put this traumatic experience behind you. Before you do, you may benefit from taking legal action against the liable party and those who facilitated the abuse you endured. Do not hesitate to contact our legal team to discuss potential options for financial relief. While no amount of money will change or make up for your trauma, access to the financial compensation you are entitled to could help you rebuild your life.

Turn to Atlanta’s Leading Sexual Abuse Law Firm for Help

If you or a loved one might have been a victim of child sex trafficking, learn more about how The Stoddard Firm holds sex trafficking enablers accountable and returns their ill-gotten profits to the hands of survivors. Fill out our secured contact form or call our office at 470-467-2200 to schedule a confidential consultation as soon as today.