The Roosevelt Inn in Philadelphia is being sued for providing rooms to human traffickers who forced girls to become prostitutes. Re/Post of article by journalist: Christian Alexandersen | March 13, 2017 Philly.com reports that the complaint was filed on behalf of a Philadelphia girl that was forced into prostitution at 14-year-old. The lawsuit is believed to be the first under the state’s 2014 human trafficking law. “This lawsuit is the first among many to come that will hold hotel and motel owners, among others, accountable when they knowingly allow victimization of the most vulnerable in our society,” said Tom Kline, the plaintiff’s attorney, in a statement. The lawsuit — filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court — names the Roosevelt Inn, manager Yagna Patel and the motel’s parent company, UFVS Management Company as defendants. Philly.com said the lawsuit contends that the now-17-year-old girl was enslaved and forced to perform sexual acts with men in 2013 and 2014 at the motel. The motel, the lawsuit contends, regularly provided rooms to her traffickers to provide financial gain.

Read more about the lawsuit at Philly.com.

Blog note: The parental guardians  of the trafficked female youth involved in the lawsuit  have not been referenced  in articles on the suit. It is unclear if the victimized youth  was kicked out of her parental guardian’s  home, ran away, was kidnapped or simply started “hanging out” with the older male pimps who then – implied in articles – drugged her,  and kept her prisoner,  forcing her to work for no pay for years in the hotel.