A United States Air Force major and his spouse, residents of Mississippi, have filed a lawsuit against Marriott International seeking $160 million in damages. The major alleges that he woke up in a North Carolina hotel room to find an unknown individual engaging in non-consensual sexual activity with him.
The lawsuit, spanning 16 pages, was filed under the pseudonym John Doe, with the alleged perpetrator identified as Jermaine Lamont Peay, aged 28.
This federal lawsuit was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Jermaine Lamont Peay arrested in May 2022
In May 2022, according to records from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, Peay was arrested and faced charges including felony larceny, first-degree burglary, second-degree forcible sex offense, and larceny after breaking and entering.
A Room At The Marriott
As per the legal complaint, the individual claimed that while traveling from Mississippi to Orlando for a mandatory Air Force training, he faced flight cancellations in Charlotte.
Despite receiving approval from his superiors to return to Mississippi, he encountered further delays trying to make it back in time for a father-daughter dance at his church.
Opting to stay at a Marriott hotel due to his “Titanium Elite status,” the individual met a friend and former Green Beret who joined him on the ride to the Charlotte Marriott City Center Hotel.
Stopped by a panhandler
As per the plaintiff, the hotel’s location was in close proximity to a significant homeless population. Upon his arrival at the West Trade Street Marriott, the victim reported being approached by a panhandler who requested money while he was handing his luggage to the hotel staff, with a valet attendant nearby.
The lawsuit alleges that it was reasonably foreseeable that a guest could be assaulted, and Marriott should have taken measures to enhance the security and safety of its premises for customers. In 2021, the lawsuit notes that a year before the assault, Charlotte Metropolitan Police had arrested 13,792 individuals for violent crimes such as assault and robbery.
The plaintiff claims that Peay had previously trespassed at the West Trade Street Marriott Hotel and had a history of assaulting guests. On the night of the assault, the victim stated that it seemed no one had noticed Peay gaining access. The plaintiff further asserts that Peay had trespassed at the hotel before and was known to break in and harm guests.
Hotel room door latch was not functioning properly
Upon arriving at his room, the guest discovered that the self-closing and self-locking door was not working as expected, failing to latch shut or lock properly.
The lawsuit points out that Marriott is equipped with electronic sensors that can transmit records when a guest’s door is opened or closed. Therefore, the guest believes that Marriott should have been aware of the malfunctioning door and taken action before and during his stay at the hotel.
Plantiff says Peay assaulted him in the middle of the night
As per the plaintiff’s account, on the morning of April 8, the victim was awoken by an assailant engaging in non-consensual oral sex.
The victim said:
“The assailant, Jermaine Peay, had put John Doe’s penis in his mouth while John Doe slept, and had been violently thrashing his head up and down with John Doe’s penis in his mouth. John Doe had never met, seen, or otherwise interacted with Jermaine Peay prior to waking up to find Peay sexually assaulting him in his hotel room,” the complaint states. “John Doe howled in terror and lashed out to punch Jermaine Peay and throw him off of John Doe.”
Following the assault, the lawsuit states that Peay left with the victim’s wallet, cellphones, pants, and shirt.
‘We know who he is’
The plaintiff expressed further dismay by stating that when he informed the Marriott front desk staff about the incident, they responded by saying “we know who he is” when he described Peay, despite Peay not being a guest at the hotel.
The victim is taking legal action against Marriott for negligence and deceptive trade practices, seeking a total of $160 million in combined punitive and compensatory damages.
Peay has history of violent criminal record
Peay has a record of previous violent incidents in Mecklenburg County. He was arrested in July for burglary, larceny, and second-degree sex offenses. In February 2022, he faced charges for simple assault, resisting public officers, and assaulting campus police. In 2021, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possessing drug paraphernalia, and going armed to the terror of people, which is a misdemeanor.
