Sex Trafficking Lawyers: How Morgan & Morgan Fights for Survivors

Sex trafficking is one of the most horrific violations of human rights imaginable. Victims are coerced, manipulated, or outright forced into sexual exploitation, often by individuals, criminal organizations, or even seemingly legitimate businesses. 

At Morgan & Morgan, we stand with survivors and pursue justice through powerful civil litigation against traffickers and the businesses that enable them.

If you or someone you love is a victim of this heinous crime, contact us today for a free and confidential case evaluation to learn more about your legal rights. We may be able to help you hold at-fault parties accountable, send a strong message to other bad actors, and recover compensation for your suffering to help you have the means to move forward.

What Is Sex Trafficking?

Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking that involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. Under U.S. federal law, sex trafficking includes:

• The use of force, fraud, or coercion to cause someone to engage in commercial sex.
• Any commercial sex act involving a minor, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion is involved.

Sex trafficking often occurs in plain sight: in hotels, motels, illicit massage parlors, strip clubs, truck stops, online platforms, and even in private homes. Victims can be any age, race, or gender but are often women and girls from vulnerable populations.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Sex Trafficking Lawsuit?

Sex trafficking is not just committed by individuals. Many traffickers operate as part of a network, and these networks often rely on complicit third parties. That’s where civil lawsuits come in. Survivors may have the legal right to sue not just their traffickers, but also the entities that enabled or profited from the exploitation.

Potential defendants in a sex trafficking lawsuit could include:

• Hotels and Motels that ignored obvious signs of trafficking
• Social media platforms and classified ad websites that facilitated trafficking
• Massage parlors, clubs, and brothels where trafficking occurred
• Trucking companies or rest stop businesses that turned a blind eye
• Event organizers, entertainment venues, or escort services knowingly involved in the trafficking
• Corporations or employers who profited from forced sex labor
• Landlords or property owners who knowingly allowed trafficking to take place
  
   

How to Spot Sex Trafficking

If someone’s clothes are tattered, they don’t speak and someone speaks for them, or if they seem scared, they may be a trafficking victim. The indicators suggest a person may be a trafficking victim, according to the U.S. Department of State:

• Living with employer
• Poor living conditions
• Multiple people in cramped space
• Inability to speak to individual alone
• Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
• Employer is holding identity documents
• Signs of physical abuse
• Submissive or fearful
• Unpaid or paid very little
• Under 18 and in prostitution

Polaris suggests looking for these additional identifiers:

• Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior
• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement or immigration officials
• Shows signs of substance use or addiction
• Poor Physical Health
• Shows signs of poor hygiene, malnourishment, and/or fatigue
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture
• Lack of Control
• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is frequently monitored
• Is not in control of their own money, financial records, or bank account

The State Department suggests asking these questions to potential victims:

• Can you leave your job if you want to?
• Can you come and go as you please?
• Have you been hurt or threatened if you tried to leave?
• Has your family been threatened?
• Do you live with your employer?
• Where do you sleep and eat?
• Are you in debt to your employer?
• Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?

How to Get Help Now

If you or someone you know has survived sex trafficking, help is available. In addition to legal support, here are resources that can provide immediate assistance:

• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733
• Polaris Project: polarisproject.org
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 800-656-4673
• Safe Horizon: safehorizon.org

Morgan & Morgan is here to advocate for you, not just as lawyers, but as humans who believe in your right to healing and justice.

What Laws Allow Survivors to Sue?

Several state and federal laws provide victims with civil remedies in addition to the criminal prosecution of their traffickers. One of the most powerful is the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).

The TVPRA (18 U.S. Code § 1595)

The TVPRA gives survivors the right to file civil lawsuits against traffickers and “whoever knowingly benefits” from participation in a trafficking venture.

This includes:

• Hotels that rented rooms to traffickers
• Websites that advertised victims
• Corporations that turned a blind eye while profiting from the sex trade

The law allows survivors to pursue damages, attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief.

State Human Trafficking Laws

Many states also have their own human trafficking laws. These state laws may expand the time survivors have to file a lawsuit, increase the types of damages available, or add liability for additional third parties.

Morgan & Morgan’s attorneys are well-versed in both state and federal trafficking statutes, and we can determine the best legal route based on where the abuse occurred and what laws apply.

Civil Lawsuits vs. Criminal Cases

Criminal cases are designed to punish traffickers, but they don’t necessarily compensate survivors. Civil lawsuits give survivors the opportunity to seek:

• Financial compensation for emotional trauma
• Medical and psychological care expenses
• Lost wages and future earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages against corporations and individuals who enabled the abuse

Civil litigation can also force businesses to implement better safeguards and policies, which may help prevent future trafficking.

How to Know If You Have a Case

You may have a civil sex trafficking case if:

• You were forced or manipulated into commercial sex acts
• You were under the age of 18 at the time of the abuse
• You were trafficked at a hotel, club, truck stop, or online
• A third-party business profited from or enabled the abuse
• You have suffered long-term trauma or financial loss

You don’t need to remember all the details or have all the evidence yourself. That’s our job. All you need to do is reach out. We will handle everything with care and discretion.

How Morgan & Morgan Can Help

At Morgan & Morgan, we’ve built our reputation on fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. With over 1,000 attorneys nationwide and billions recovered for clients, we are uniquely equipped to hold powerful businesses, institutions, and individuals accountable.

Sex trafficking survivors often suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Our legal teams are trained to work with survivors in a way that is compassionate, empathetic, and confidential.

We understand that every survivor’s journey is different, and we let you set the pace of your case. You are never just another file to us—you are a human being who deserves justice.

Morgan & Morgan attorneys have handled large-scale litigation against hotels, social media companies, and other businesses in sex trafficking cases. We investigate deeply using forensic experts and gather digital evidence, surveillance footage, and witness testimony. We also work with trauma-informed investigators and psychologists, and even collaborate with nonprofit organizations and survivor advocates.

 

We Also Represent Families of Trafficking Victims

In tragic cases where victims are killed or suffer long-term incapacitation due to trafficking, family members may be eligible to pursue wrongful death or other civil claims. Morgan & Morgan provides respectful, compassionate representation for families seeking justice on behalf of a loved one.

What If I’m Afraid to Come Forward?

It’s completely normal to feel scared or uncertain. Many survivors worry about retaliation, immigration status, judgment, or being re-traumatized. Here’s what you should know:

• Your case is confidential. We never reveal your name publicly unless you give permission.
• You’re protected by law. Retaliation against trafficking survivors is illegal.
• Immigration status doesn’t disqualify you. Many survivors are undocumented; you still have rights.
• You’re not alone. We work with counselors, victim advocates, and support services to make the process as safe and empowering as possible.
  
   

Survivors Deserve Justice. Let Us Help.

No amount of money can undo the pain of being trafficked, but civil lawsuits can help survivors regain power, independence, and peace of mind—and force businesses and institutions to stop enabling this horrific crime.

If you or a loved one has been trafficked, we are here to listen without judgment and fight relentlessly for your justice.

Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free, confidential case evaluation.