ATLANTA,GA
DULUTH, GA
ATLANTA,GA
DULUTH, GA
If you were trafficked for commercial sex before turning 18—even if you are now an adult—you may still have civil legal options. If you are a parent or guardian concerned about a child, you may also need immediate guidance about safety, representation and legal rights. Our attorneys have represented child sex trafficking survivors in federal civil litigation, including a case that resulted in a $40 million jury verdict against an Atlanta-area hotel.
We approach these cases with careful attention to privacy, safety, the survivor’s choices and the evidence needed to pursue responsible parties. A person’s age at the time of the exploitation can affect the legal framework and filing deadlines. It does not automatically make every business connected to the events liable.
A legal team may examine whether there was a pattern of repeated trafficking on the property; what employees, managers, or owners observed or were told; whether there were complaints or police contacts; how the hotel handled room activity or payments; and whether a defendant participated in and benefited from a trafficking venture. The legal significance of a warning sign depends on the full circumstances—not on a checklist alone.
Courts distinguish a property’s mere proximity to trafficking from conduct sufficient to satisfy federal civil liability standards. The evidence must connect each proposed defendant to the elements of the claim. A survivor should not be expected to know the internal ownership structure or which employees knew what before contacting counsel.
Federal 18 U.S.C. § 1591 addresses commercial sex trafficking of children and trafficking involving force, fraud, or coercion. In cases where the person was under 18 and the statutory requirements are satisfied, prosecutors do not need to prove force, fraud, or coercion as they generally would for the relevant adult-sex-trafficking theory. The statute also includes other elements that must be met, including the covered conduct and its connection to a commercial sex act.
A “commercial sex act” involves something of value being given or received on account of a sex act. That can involve money or other things of value. A child’s apparent agreement or lack of physical restraint does not eliminate the age-based protections. However, determining the liability of a specific civil defendant requires a separate legal analysis.
Depending on the facts, a civil claim may involve a direct trafficker and certain other people or businesses whose conduct meets statutory requirements. These may include hotels or other entities accused of participation in and financial benefit from a trafficking venture with the required knowledge. Not every business connected to a location is liable merely because trafficking took place there.
If commercial sexual exploitation occurred at a hotel, the property’s records, employees’ conduct, and the roles of the owner, operator, or other entities may be relevant. Our Hotel Sex Trafficking Lawyers page explains the separate questions involved in potential hotel liability.
Federal § 1595(c) generally requires a claim to be brought no later than the later of (1) ten years after the cause of action arose or (2) ten years after the person turns 18, if that person was a minor at the time of the alleged offense. That is a federal rule for claims under this provision; other claims and possible exceptions can be different. A lawyer should calculate deadlines using actual dates and legal theories rather than relying on a general age estimate.
Waiting may also make records harder to locate. Survivors can seek legal advice even if many years have passed or they are uncertain about dates.
Depending on the case, an investigation may consider communications, hotel or travel records, financial transactions, witness accounts, school or medical records when relevant and lawfully available, law-enforcement records, child-protection records, and evidence showing a defendant’s participation, benefit, or knowledge. Some evidence may be held by businesses or government agencies rather than by the survivor.
Survivors should not be pressured to collect sensitive materials on their own or to make unsafe contact with alleged perpetrators. Lawyers can discuss lawful evidence preservation, potential sources of proof, and the personal demands of discovery before litigation begins.
Court proceedings can raise difficult questions about disclosure of a survivor’s experiences, records, and identity. Some survivors may be permitted to use initials or a pseudonym, but that depends on court approval and case circumstances. Attorneys should explain what privacy protections may be available, what discovery or testimony might be required, and where confidentiality has limits.
When a current minor is involved, questions about who can authorize representation, the role of a parent or guardian, reporting obligations, and potential conflicts of interest may arise. A lawyer must assess those issues individually. An adult who was trafficked as a child generally controls decisions about their own representation, subject to applicable law.
Read the firm’s firsthand account: $40 million jury verdict involving a child survivor.
We represented a survivor who was trafficked as a child in a federal lawsuit against United Inn, a hotel in DeKalb County, Georgia. On July 15, 2025, a jury awarded $40 million: $10 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages. David Bouchard led the trial team, with Oto Ekpo as trial co-counsel. Our current website describes this as a child sex trafficking verdict. It demonstrates our experience bringing a minor-survivor case to trial, not a prediction of recovery in another matter.
Read our published account of the $40 million jury verdict. The result may be subject to post-trial proceedings, and each case depends on its own facts.
Meet the trial lawyers: David Bouchard and Oto Ekpo.
An initial conversation may focus on when the exploitation occurred, the survivor’s present circumstances, potential defendants and locations, evidence that may still exist, privacy and safety concerns, and possible deadlines. A good case review also addresses whether the survivor wants to pursue a lawsuit at all. A person does not need to decide during the first conversation.
We offer initial consultations about trafficking matters without charge. If you consider representation, we explain the litigation stages, expected involvement, written fee terms, expenses and privacy limits so that you can make an informed decision.
Federal law references: 18 U.S.C. § 1591 (sex trafficking) and 18 U.S.C. § 1595 (civil claims and filing deadlines).
Potentially. The facts and filing deadlines determine whether a claim remains available. Federal § 1595 includes an age-based filing rule for people who were minors at the time of the alleged conduct.
A lack of an earlier report does not automatically bar an evaluation. Attorneys can assess other evidence and the applicable filing period. Reporting requirements may be different when a child is currently at risk.
Finch McCranie offers an initial consultation at no charge for trafficking matters. Call the Atlanta office at (404) 341-5356 to request a conversation about a possible civil claim. You do not need to commit to filing a lawsuit to ask questions. The firm’s contact form sends information by unencrypted email, so do not include sensitive or confidential details in a form, text message, or voicemail. Contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
the firm’s main civil sex trafficking practice
potential liability of hotel defendants
the primary trafficking practice-area hub
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For support and referrals outside the legal intake process, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or visit its Get Help page.