Sex Trafficking Lawsuits In Pennsylvania

To be a victim of sex trafficking is to have survived a harrowing, devasting experience. Those who have come out of the other side of trafficking can face years of emotional trauma recovery on top of the physical trauma. These survivors deserve to be heard. An experienced sex trafficking lawsuit attorney can help give them a voice.

At , we are sex trafficking lawsuit attorneys who have experience fighting these cases across West Chester, Chester County and throughout Pennsylvania. We work with the brave survivors of trafficking in their pursuit of justice and compensation. You’ve experienced a lot of pain, and there isn’t a way we can undo what has happened. But we can fight for you and with you to pursue those who hurt you with a civil lawsuit.

What Is Sex Trafficking?

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking that involves forcing people to provide labor or service. In other words, it’s slavery – sexual slavery. People are kidnapped, blackmailed, abused or otherwise put into a position where their choice and agency are removed. These individuals are coerced by their captors to become sex workers.

With experience on the prosecution side of criminal law, we are a team of lawyers that is extremely well-versed in the issues. The courts will seek to take the emotion out of this harrowing experience you had and try to determine whether your experience “counts” by looking at these factors:

• Evidence of control: There must be tangible, compelling evidence that the other party physically or otherwise maintained strict control of you.
• Your property: Those being trafficked have few if any, possessions or documentation.
• Your financial situation: Since financial coercion is the most prevalent method of control, the courts will look at massive debts or other financial records.
• Your living situation: Trafficked individuals often live in poor accommodations without privacy or comfort, frequently moving from place to place in hotels and motels.

Proving that you were under the thumb and influence of someone is only the first part of a long, difficult process. As your sex trafficking lawsuit attorneys, we will work to build a case against your attackers and any other party who aided them during the time you were coerced.

What Rights Do Survivors Of Sex Trafficking Have?

Civil law tries to offer a path forward for anyone who has suffered harm of any type. As a victim of sex trafficking, the criminal justice system will pursue your abuser, but you can, too. Survivors have filed lawsuits against such parties as:

• Their abuser
• Hotels, motels and hotel chains that the abuser used
• People they were forced to have sexual contact with

These rights stem from the Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act and extend to domestic survivors as well as noncitizen survivors. The provisions outline the funding and training that federal employees must undergo to recognize and respond to trafficking.

The Role Of Civil Lawsuits In Sex Trafficking

Ideally, the criminal justice system would be the major and sole enforcer of sex trafficking law and its consequences. Survivors deserve to see those who hurt them and upended their lives held accountable under the strictest interpretation of the law. However, the reality of this is far less clear-cut.

The law can only punish and hold accountable those who are found guilty. As an avenue of recourse, the criminal justice system is not a sure thing. The defendants have many rights and often well-funded legal teams defending them – a product of a shadowy, highly secretive organization that profited from your victimization. The burden of proof in these cases is also the highest possible legal standard beyond a reasonable doubt.

All this is to say that those waiting for justice from the justice system may have a long, indefinite wait. But there is another option. Civil court allows for victims of any sort of damage, pain or attack to take a stand against the offenders. And, in the case of a sex trafficking case, you can hold many parties accountable. In the previous section, we listed a few of the parties. But the list can be more extensive. Others who might be a target for litigation include any party who could have or should have realized your situation and acted to help you. You may be able to recover damages for the following and more:

• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Medical bills
• Psychiatric treatment

Hiring an aggressive, unyielding sex trafficking lawsuit attorney may be the only way for you to get the justice you deserve and crave. Obviously, the monetary damages will not replace the traumas you suffered. However, the public record and the financial devastation you can inflict on your abuser may be the most effective way forward.

Challenges And Considerations In Trafficking Cases

When you decide to move forward with a sex trafficking lawsuit, your lawyer should inform you of the reality ahead. Sex trafficking lawsuits are not simple affairs, and you will likely have to revisit the most harrowing, traumatic moments of your life.

The defense will do anything to undermine your case. It will:

• Impugn your reputation
• Make you recount awful moments in your life
• Provide evidence of your “supposed” willingness to be involved

Additionally, the hidden nature of sex trafficking networks can make it exceedingly challenging to build and prove your case, as collecting the evidence and presenting that evidence in a court of law will not be a simple task.

However, with us at , you will not have to do this alone.

Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Attorneys On Your Side The Whole Way

With experience as criminal prosecutors and civil lawyers, we’ve got the right combination of experience to pursue this challenge with you. We are a determined team that will use the strategy we build together to help you get the justice you crave and deserve. Call us at or send an email using this form to get started.