Federal lawsuit filed against SeaTac Motel 6s over alleged sex trafficking of minor

Another lawsuit has been filed against multiple Motel 6 locations in King County for allegedly allowing, facilitating, profiting from, and concealing sex trafficking on the premises.

Singleton Schreiber filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Jane Doe survivor who was allegedly trafficked for sex as a minor at two Motel 6 properties, both in SeaTac. This is the sixth lawsuit the firm has filed against Motel 6 related to these crimes.

“The number of survivors coming forward with consistent stories of brutal, open sex trafficking at the same Motel 6s underscores a persistent and systemic failure to address trafficking at the properties,” the law firm stated. “Each lawsuit details the motel employees’ knowledge, notice, and participation in the trafficking.”

The two Motel 6s in the lawsuit are located at 16500 Pacific Highway S. and 18900 47th Avenue S. At these locations, the victim in the lawsuit was trafficked at just 14 years old.

The lawsuit claims the defendants — G6 Hospitality entities, which owns and operates Motel 6, and the two locations’ franchise operator, SeaTac Hotels, LLC — ignored “clear and repeated signs” of sex trafficking, allowed traffickers to operate openly on their properties, and profited from room rentals tied to the exploitation.

The suit additionally alleged that the companies involved failed to implement basic anti-trafficking measures or adequately train staff.

“This is not an isolated incident — it’s part of a disturbing pattern,” Meagan Verschueren, counsel for Singleton Schreiber, said. “For years, these same properties have been the site of repeated sex trafficking allegations, and yet meaningful action to protect vulnerable individuals has not been taken. Our client was a child who endured unimaginable abuse, and this lawsuit seeks to hold these companies accountable for the role they played in enabling that harm.”

The previous lawsuits filed against these Motel 6 locations claimed the ongoing sex trafficking occurred from 2015 to 2023. One additional Motel 6, located at 20651 Military Road S. in SeaTac, was also a defendant in previous lawsuits.

“There is nothing more important to us than the safety and well-being of our guests, our team members, and the communities in which we operate,” G6 Hospitality said in a statement to KIRO 7 in 2024. “We condemn all forms of human trafficking and have a zero-tolerance policy against it. Trafficking of people violates basic human rights and is a global societal problem.”

The most current lawsuit alleged that traffickers used these properties as a base of operations, providing details in the court documents.

“Our client’s experience is tragically consistent with what we’ve seen in other cases involving this location,” Verschueren stated. “We have filed six lawsuits tied to the same properties, but these have not been the only lawsuits. Others have been filed, including another one involving another minor on March 20, 2026. All of these lawsuits should be a wake-up call. These companies cannot continue to turn a blind eye while profiting from exploitation.”

Previous lawsuits filed against Motel 6, related companies

In 2024, a Bothell woman filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, implicating the motel chain, its parent company, and connected companies had knowledge of sex trafficking on motel premises.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit alleged traffickers rented rooms to imprison and traffic her and others at certain Motel 6 locations. This occurred so often, according to the plaintiff, that employees at the Motel 6s would be on a first-name basis with her and her trafficker.

“All the signs were there, all the red flags were there, and they did nothing to stop it,” Katie Llamas, an attorney in the case, told KIRO 7. “These hotels and hotel motels know what’s going on. They know that they’re being trafficked; they know this isn’t consensual prostitution. And they’re allowing it to go on.”

Backpage, a classified advertising website, and the software company Salesforce were named in the lawsuit for allegedly facilitating sex trafficking on several occasions.

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