Sex trafficking survivor sues major Las Vegas hotels

Jade Denosta July 12, 2024

SiGMA news

Sex trafficking survivor sues major Las Vegas hotels

A woman who claims to have been a victim of sex trafficking in 2014 has filed a lawsuit against several well-known hotels in Las Vegas. The hotels named in the lawsuit include The Venetian Resort Hotel, Aria Resort & Casino, Wynn Las Vegas, and New York-New York.

The victim alleges that she was forced into commercialised sexual acts after being taken to multiple hotels, and she also claims that hotel staff and employees were aware of the situation but did not intervene. The lawsuit states that the establishments failed to properly educate and train their staff to recognise and address sex trafficking even though her body showed strong evidence of the abuse. The victim is seeking justice and holds the named hotels accountable for the suffering and trauma she experienced.

She filed the lawsuit at a time when human trafficking is a growing concern in the United States. Organisations such as Polaris have been reporting a steady increase in the number of human trafficking cases each year. This issue brings to light the estimated 20 to 40 million people globally who are trapped in modern slavery and gives an emphasis on the pressing need to address this pervasive problem.

The alarming extent of human trafficking in Las Vegas and the state of Nevada is evident on information provided by the FBI, with Las Vegas being cited as a significant area for child prostitution. In fact, Nevada is ranked 10th in the country for the highest number of human trafficking cases. This lawsuit is shedding light on a critical escalating problem that is having a lasting impact on numerous individuals, both within the local community and globally.

Study by Arizona State University reveals severity of sex trafficking

According to a study conducted by Arizona State University, more than half of the women who were victims of sex trafficking in Las Vegas were never reported missing. The study, which examined nearly 200 young women identified in 2014, found that most of these victims were underage, with the youngest being only 12 years old. A significant number of these girls were products of the foster care system, which is why they went unnoticed and were never reported missing.

In addition to this, about a third of these girls were forced into trafficking by a boyfriend who turned into a violent, fear-based abuser, and around 20 percent were brought to the city from another area. A recent case highlighted the issue when a 17-year-old girl from Utah was believed to have been sexually trafficked after she disappeared during a trip to Las Vegas in January. She was later found in Venice, California, with two men who were investigated by the FBI. The teenager had initially been reported to have run away with the men, but fears arose that she had been sexually trafficked when she stopped replying to text messages from her loved ones. The teenager was reunited with her family but had a long recovery ahead of her.