HOUSTON, May 5, 2021 — A Texas sex trafficking survivor alleges in a new lawsuit that she was repeatedly drugged, beaten and raped at a Houston-area Motel 6 location known for trafficking activity, according to her lawyers at Annie McAdams PC, Sico Hoelscher Harris LLPand The Gallagher Law Firm.
Filed in state district court in Harris County on behalf of “Jane Doe A.A.,” the lawsuit accuses a group of Motel 6 defendants of knowingly benefitting from sex trafficking activities and it cites dozens of alleged trafficking incidents at Motel 6 locations around the nation. Five similar lawsuits were filed on behalf of alleged trafficking victims against Motel 6 defendants in Dallas County last week.
According to the Harris County lawsuit, Jane Doe A.A., a resident of Nueces County, Texas, was drugged at a high school party after being “groomed” by the brother of a fellow high school student. After the drugging, Jane Doe A.A. woke up at a hotel,, with her identification and phone confiscated by the trafficker. She was then trafficked for several months, including a Motel 6 location in Spring, Texas where she was drugged, beaten and raped by an average of 10 men per day, including a Motel 6 manager.
The lawsuit defendants are G6 Hospitality LLC, doing business as Motel 6; G6 Hospitality Franchising, LLC; G6 Hospitality IP, LLC; G6 Hospitality Property, LLC; G6 Hospitality Purchasing, LLC; Motel 6 Operating, LP; and NNJP LLC, doing business as Motel 6 Spring.
“Countless tales of tragedy establish the entrenched, pervasive nature and knowledge of Motel 6’s role as the venue for sex trafficking across the United States for years,” the lawsuit alleges. “As sex trafficking has grown to epidemic proportions, it has become widely recognized that we must look beyond just the pimp and sex buyer to stop sex trafficking. We must look to the other individual and entities who facilitate and benefit from sex trafficking.”
After months of abuse, according to the lawsuit, Jane Doe A.A. escaped her trafficker after approaching a police officer at a gas station. She underwent intensive in-patient therapy for drug addiction, followed by a live-in trafficking recovery program. After many months of in-patient treatment, Jane Doe A.A. returned home to her parents.
The defendants are accused of violating Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 98, an anti-trafficking law passed in 2009, and other state laws.
Jane Doe A.A. and the five alleged trafficking victims in the Dallas County lawsuits are represented by Annie McAdams of Annie McAdams PC, of Houston; Michael T. Gallagher and Pamela McLemore, of The Gallagher Law Firm, of Houston; and David E. Harris and Jeffrey H. Richter, of Sico Hoelscher Harris LLP, of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Annie McAdams , of Annie McAdams PC, said, “Jane Doe A.A. is a rare human trafficking success story. Despite deep wounds of rape and abuse, and constant fear for her and her family’s safety, she continues to recover and look toward the future. She has fought back by serving as a key witness against her trafficker’s criminal trial.”
David E. Harris , of Sico Hoelscher Harris LLP, said, “Jane Doe A.A. is courageously rebuilding her life. With the help of Chapter 98 protection, we believe trafficking survivors in Texas can expose and hold accountable companies such as Motel 6 that benefit from these crimes of exploitation.”
The case is “Jane Doe A.A. vs. G6 Hospitality d/b/a Motel 6, et al.,” Cause No. 2021-26731 in the 11th State District Court of Harris County, Texas.
