Dallas Mavericks Could Have Prevented Sex Trafficking of Teenage Girl, Attorney Says

The Dallas Mavericks have been named by an attorney as a party that could have prevented the sex trafficking of a teenage girl, KVUE reports. 

The NBA team, American Airlines Center, the Dallas Police Department, and an Oklahoma City hotel were all listed by attorney Zeke Fortenberry as parties that could have prevented the situation, after the 15-year-old went to the bathroom during an April 8 game and never made it back to her seat. When her father told police at the game his daughter was missing, he was told to report it to North Richland Hills Police, per Fortenberry. 

The Mavs were specifically listed because the man who allegedly left with the with the girl used counterfeit tickets to enter American Airlines Center, despite the fact that he was on the radars of both the Mavs and the arena. 

The girl, who had gone missing for a total of 11 days was found at the Oklahoma City hotel on April 18, after her parents had identified her and her nude photos being used in an online advertisement. 

“Our intent is to put [these organizations] on notice that we’re pursuing claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action,” Fortenberry said. 

This story is being updated.