COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — A federal jury has awarded $164 million to a victim of child sex trafficking in a lawsuit against the operator of a Super 8 hotel in College Park, according to attorneys representing the victim.
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The verdict was returned following a three-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Jurors found Lincoln Bancorp LLC, the operator of the Super 8 hotel at 4979 Old National Highway, liable under claims brought through the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
According to court records and evidence presented during the trial, the victim, identified in court documents as J.R. to protect her privacy, was 15 years old when she was trafficked at the hotel beginning in 2020.
Attorneys for J.R. argued that hotel employees knew or should have known that sex trafficking was occurring at the property and that the company financially benefited from room rentals connected to the trafficking operation.
The jury awarded J.R. $44 million in compensatory damages and $120 million in punitive damages, for a total of $164 million.
According to attorneys with Andersen, Tate & Carr, evidence presented at trial showed traffickers repeatedly brought J.R. to the hotel in 2020 and 2021, sometimes staying for extended periods while she was sold for sex.
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Trial testimony included allegations that the victim was subjected to multiple buyers each day while at the property. Jurors also heard testimony from a former housekeeper who said prostitution occurred regularly at the hotel and that young girls were frequently present on the property.
Attorneys said evidence presented during the trial showed hotel employees were aware of unusually high foot traffic to certain rooms and failed to intervene.
The victim also testified about an alleged attempt to seek help from a hotel employee. According to her testimony, she asked a front desk employee for directions to the nearest train station because she wanted to escape her traffickers. She testified that the employee refused to help and denied her request to use the hotel’s phone.
The lawsuit was filed under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which allows trafficking victims to pursue civil claims against businesses or individuals who knowingly benefit from participation in a venture they knew or should have known was engaged in trafficking.
In a statement following the verdict, lead attorney Patrick McDonough said the case underscores the responsibility businesses have to recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking.
It was not immediately clear whether Lincoln Bancorp plans to appeal the verdict.
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