Complaint alleges sex trafficking took place at three Aiken County motels - News - The Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, GA
Complaint alleges sex trafficking took place at three Aiken County motels - News - The Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, GA
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Complaint alleges sex trafficking took place at three Aiken County motels
A complaint filed through the Second Judicial Circuit alleges three Aiken County motels knew and profited from sex trafficking between August 2017 and 2018.
The complaint was filed May 21 by attorney Daniel Dalton of Mickelsen Dalton LCC on behalf of a plaintiff, described as woman and resident of South Carolina. It alleges the plaintiff was the victim of trafficking.
According to the complaint, owners of Kozy Kort Motel, The Ashley Motel and the American Hearth Inn knew or should have known for several years about the sex trafficking happening at their properties. The complaint alleges all three motels generated revenue from the rate charged for the rooms in which the plaintiff was sex trafficked multiple times.
“Defendants have financially benefited as a result of these acts and/or omissions by keeping operating costs low and maintaining the loyalty of the segment of their customer base that seeks to participate in the sex trade,” the complaint states. Moreover, Defendants directly benefited from the trafficking of Plaintiff on each occasion they received payment for rooms that she was being kept in at the Defendants’ motels.”
The documents say In July 2017, the plaintiff left her abusive husband to live with her biological father, who also abused her. She was then taken by a “friend” to Aiken, where she was allegedly traded for drugs to a sex trafficker who used violence, torture, manipulation and drugs to control and enslave the plaintiff, according to the complaint.
The plaintiff, then 26, was allegedly sex trafficked and physically and emotionally tortured multiple times at the three motels between August 2017 and 2018.
According to the complaint, the trafficker rented rooms at the motels using cash At the Ashley Motel, employees allegedly noticed men and women coming in and out of the plaintiff’s room, with one employee allegedly asking how much she costs, the document alleges.
According to the complaint, the sex trafficker arranged a time for the employee to watch the plaintiff perform sexual acts for two men. The complaint alleges employees of the motel observed sex trafficking of the plaintiff at least four times.
Two phone calls to the Ashley Motel went unanswered Tuesday.
The complaint alleges the plaintiff was sex trafficked at the American Hearth Motel on three different dates. According to the complaint, she was forced to go from room-to-room to perform sexual acts, often seeing 12 men a day.
The plaintiff said she told a front desk employee about the trafficking.
When reached for comment, a American Hearth Motel employee provided a number of the owner that is no longer in service.
The complaint alleges the plaintiff was trafficked at least five different times at the Kozy Kort Motel. According to the complaint, employees observed the plaintiff and her trafficker engaged in sexual activities in their room.
The trafficker operated the sex trafficking business at the hotel for several months. According to the complaint, 15 to 30 men and women entered and exited the plaintiff’s trafficker’s room several times a day and the plaintiff had bruising and forced to remain topless and naked.
A manager of the Kozy Kort Motel denied the allegations of sex trafficking.
The plaintiff is requesting a jury be selected to hear the case and render a verdict. According to the complaint, the plaintiff is requesting the jury awards damages to the plaintiff in an amount that will effectively prevent other similarly caused acts and reflect the wrongs of the defendants.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said they have not received any reports associated with human or sex trafficking at the three motels during August 2017 to August 2018. A separate investigation into human trafficking resulted in the arrest of three people for trafficking in persons with offense dates ranged from 2017 to February 2019.
Capt. Eric Abdullah said the case did not have any of the motels mentioned in the lawsuit.
A lawsuit represents only side in any case.
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