Washington woman accuses Craigslist, major hotel chains of profiting from child sex trafficking

A Western Washington woman who says she was forced into prostitution at age 12 and sex-trafficked for years before escaping at age 18 has sued San Francisco-based Craigslist and hotel chains Motel 6, Wyndham and Howard Johnson, alleging they knew their businesses were being used to promote, protect and profit from child rape and sexual exploitation.

In an 81-page complaint filed this week in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, the woman — identified by the initials M.L. — alleges that Craigslist and much of the hospitality industry have known for years that their services have been used by sex traffickers of children, but have not acted quickly or with conviction to address the problem. While in recent years these industries have moved to educate workers and cooperate with authorities to combat sex trafficking, the lawsuit alleges the effort amounts to lip service and is too little, too late.

The Washington case is one of a growing number of lawsuits targeting hotels and others in the hospitality industry, where sexual exploitation and trafficking have traditionally occurred relatively unchallenged. Similar lawsuits have been filed elsewhere, including in Atlanta and California, and M.L.’s attorney expects additional litigation in the future.

M.L. is seeking damages for negligence, outrage, criminal profiteering, sexual exploitation of children, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy.

The lawsuit identifies four hotels in the SeaTac area and Kent where M.L. said she was kept by a pimp for weeks at a time and where staff knew or should have known she was a child sex slave. The lawsuit describes times where she says she was told by staff to “keep it down” after being raped, and instances where her room’s trash was filled with used condoms and empty bottles of sexual lubricant. Most of the events referenced in the lawsuit occurred around the late 2000s, when M.L. was between the ages of 12 and 17.

Her attorney said she is now in her mid-20s, but declined to be specific about her age or where in Western Washington she resides today. These people are sick!

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/federal-lawsuit-alleges-craigslist-and-several-south-sound-hotels-profited-from-child-sex-trafficking/

PG&E says it has reached $13.5 billion wildfire settlement

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pacific Gas and Electric announced Friday it has reached a tentative $13.5 billion settlement resolving all major claims related to the deadly, devastating Northern California wildfires of 2017-2018 that were blamed on its outdated equipment and negligence.

The utility says the deal, which still requires court approval, represents a key step in leading it out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The deal is expected to resolve all claims arising from a series of deadly 2017 Northern California wildfires and the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and all but incinerated the town of Paradise. It also resolves claims from the 2015 Butte Fire and Oakland’s 2016 Ghost Ship Fire.

“From the beginning of the Chapter 11 process, getting wildfire victims fairly compensated, especially the individuals, has been our primary goal,” Bill Johnson, PG&E Corporation’s CEO and president, said in a statement Friday. “We want to help our customers, our neighbors and our friends in those impacted areas recover and rebuild after these tragic wildfires.”

In most cases the 2017 and 2018 fires were blamed on power lines, and two attorneys representing more than 5,000 Northern California fire victims hailed the settlement.

“I think it’s a fantastic result,” said attorney Rich Bridgford of Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, adding it will not only compensate thousands of devastated fire victims but also require PG&E to put billions into overhauling its infrastructure to prevent future disasters.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/pge-says-it-has-reached-13-5-billion-wildfire-settlement/