A federal jury in Atlanta determined that Lincoln Bancorp LLC must pay $164 million to a victim who was sexually exploited as a 15-year-old at a College Park Super 8 property. The financial judgment consists of $44 million in compensatory damages along with an additional $120 million in punitive damages. The plaintiff testified that hotel employees actively failed to help her escape the abuse that spanned from 2020 into 2021. This outcome represents what her legal team believes to be the largest sex trafficking verdict of its kind.
Key points
Hotel operators face severe financial and legal accountability when on-site staff fail to…: Hotel operators face severe financial and legal accountability when on-site staff fail to intervene against human trafficking operations.
The outcome marks what plaintiff attorneys believe is the largest monetary verdict ever i…: The outcome marks what plaintiff attorneys believe is the largest monetary verdict ever issued in a sex trafficking case of this kind.
The massive award continues a regional pattern of substantial civil penalties and settlem…: The massive award continues a regional pattern of substantial civil penalties and settlements targeting Georgia hospitality providers.
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A woman who was sexually exploited at a Georgia hotel as a teenager has won $164 million in damages from the property's former operator. A federal jury in Atlanta found against Lincoln Bancorp LLC in a case involving trafficking at a Super 8 by Wyndham in College Park.
According to Atlanta Journal Constitution, the woman was 15 when the alleged exploitation began in 2020. It continued into 2021, when she was 16. During her testimony, she described how hotel employees failed to help her get away from the situation. Her lawyers argued that the company should be held responsible for what happened at the property.
The jury delivered its decision in September. It awarded the woman $44 million for the harm she suffered and imposed a further $120 million in punitive damages. The total award came to $164 million.
The hotel was located on Old National Highway, near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Lincoln Bancorp owned and operated the Super 8 property from December 2019 until December 2021.
The plaintiff's legal team believes the award could be the largest verdict of…
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