Hold Hotels in the US Liable for Enabling Child Trafficking

Recent signers:
Brenna VonKohn and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

For 40 days, a 16-year-old girl was trafficked for sex in a DeKalb County hotel. Hundreds of men came and went. Staff looked the other way. Management ignored warnings. And the abuse continued.

Now, for the first time in Georgia, a jury has said: enough. In a historic decision, United Inn & Suites was ordered to pay $40 million for its role in enabling sex trafficking on its property. This case should set the national standard — but unless lawmakers act, it won’t.

We’re calling for a national law requiring mandatory anti-trafficking training, accountability standards, and real legal consequences for hotels that ignore or enable sex trafficking. This includes requiring hotels to report suspicious activity, protect minors, and be held civilly liable when they knowingly benefit from trafficking.

Sex trafficking survivors deserve more than justice after the fact — they deserve prevention, protection, and a system that doesn’t turn a blind eye.

Sign this petition to demand Congress use Georgia’s precedent to pass federal legislation that holds the hotel industry accountable. 

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Community PetitionPetition Starter

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Recent signers:
Brenna VonKohn and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

For 40 days, a 16-year-old girl was trafficked for sex in a DeKalb County hotel. Hundreds of men came and went. Staff looked the other way. Management ignored warnings. And the abuse continued.

Now, for the first time in Georgia, a jury has said: enough. In a historic decision, United Inn & Suites was ordered to pay $40 million for its role in enabling sex trafficking on its property. This case should set the national standard — but unless lawmakers act, it won’t.

We’re calling for a national law requiring mandatory anti-trafficking training, accountability standards, and real legal consequences for hotels that ignore or enable sex trafficking. This includes requiring hotels to report suspicious activity, protect minors, and be held civilly liable when they knowingly benefit from trafficking.

Sex trafficking survivors deserve more than justice after the fact — they deserve prevention, protection, and a system that doesn’t turn a blind eye.

Sign this petition to demand Congress use Georgia’s precedent to pass federal legislation that holds the hotel industry accountable. 

avatar of the starter
Community PetitionPetition Starter

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