Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds said Friday his office has filed a lawsuit to force a Windy Hill Road motel to address sex trafficking and drug activity on its premises or be subject to forfeiting its property.
A release by the DA’s office said the “public nuisance” measure was being applied to The Masters Inn, 2682 Windy Hill Road, located near the Windy Hill Hospital, the junction of Interstate 75 and SunTrust Park.
UPDATED, Wed., Jan. 9, 11:55 a.m.: The AJC is reporting the motel has closed temporarily for renovations, and that the owner has reached an agreement with the DA’s office to address the crime issues.
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Authorities say the motel has been a haven for drug and sex trafficking and was the scene of a deadly shooting in 2015. In late 2017 Cobb Police arrested a man there on felony drug charges and discovered he had been holding a female against her well and using her for sex trafficking, according to the release.
The DA’s office said it was approached earlier last year by a lawyers’ group, Civil Lawyers Against World Sex Slavery, and along with Cobb Police compiled data on hotels in the county with high levels of arrests, especially for drugs, prostitution and trafficking.
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According to the lawsuit, filed in Cobb Superior Court, The Masters Inn was known to police as “notorious hotbed of criminal activity that has been the subject of countless investigations.”
The release said The Masters Inn ownership must take the following steps:
- contact and cooperate with police about suspected criminal activity;
- require valid photo identification of all guests;
- maintain complete guest rosters and a list of those previously arrested there;
- require staff training to recognize and prevent human trafficking;
- hire a licensed and armed security guard;
- install outdoor lighting, video surveillance and fencing;
- ban loitering.
According to the release, the first of several compliance hearings will be held before Cobb Superior Court Judge Kimberly Childs on March 14.
The DA’s office said the suit is believed to be one of the first in Georgia aimed at curbing sex trafficking activity.
The announcement of the lawsuit comes at the end of a week of public events in the state about sex trafficking. Georgia is regarded as one of the busiest states in the nation for sex trafficking, and January is National Sex Trafficking Awareness Month.
Earlier this week, dozens of school buses formed a caravan to reflect the estimated 3,600 children authorities say are used for sex trafficking in Georgia.
Among those taking part were Attorney General Chris Carr and Governor-elect Brian Kemp. The faith-based group Street Grace also has been leading the charge.
The upcoming session of the Georgia General Assembly is expected to include sex trafficking legislation, and efforts are underway to crack down on sex trafficking ahead of the Super Bowl, which takes place in Atlanta in early February.
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