A lawsuit filed in October in Pulaski County Circuit Court seeking to hold a Little Rock hotel liable for sex-trafficking activities was moved Monday to federal court. Meredith Moore, one of the plaintiff's attorneys, said in October that the women and girls held against their will for sex-trafficking purposes "are not prostitutes.
Moore and Lauren Manatt, the other attorney who filed the suit, were expected to challenge the defendants' attempt to move the case to federal court. The attorneys said in the complaint that the case is "non-removable" because Seven Star is an entity of Arkansas.
The hotel has changed hands six times since , according to property records. The lawsuit contends that Doe was beaten and choked several times a week by her trafficker and that she screamed when the trafficker assaulted her, but that hotel managers and employees never interceded or called on her behalf.
The woman says the fourth floor was used exclusively for human trafficking and that she was among dozens of women -- some of whom were minors -- held captive there. The hotel's new co-owner, Henry Patel, said in October that he was unaware of the hotel's history and is against sex trafficking. He said he and his partner are working to ensure that all patrons are safe. Print Headline: Suit accusing Little Rock hotel of ignoring sex-trafficking moves to federal court.
Suit accusing Little Rock hotel of ignoring sex-trafficking moves to federal court by Linda Satter November 26, at a. John Sykes Jr. Document Human trafficking complaint View.
