Allegations Against San Francisco Apartment Complexes: Sex Trafficking and Bribery

Staff at two upscale apartment complexes in San Francisco are accused of taking substantial bribes to keep a sex-trafficking operation involving underage girls under wraps, as revealed in a recent federal lawsuit.

This disturbing claim was presented in a complaint filed this month by a woman who says she was a victim of regular exploitation from 2018 to 2019.

The individual, referred to as AV in court documents, was only 17 when she found herself “forced into a life of involuntary sex slavery” under a “notorious sex trafficker” named Tom Roe.

The troubling experiences began for AV in the fall of 2018, while she was still attending high school.

According to the lawsuit, AV and two other victims were compelled to reside in a one-bedroom apartment costing $7,500 a month on Townsend Street, part of a large waterfront community owned by South Beach Marina.

The building, which featured amenities like tennis courts, a pool, a sauna, and stunning bay views, allegedly served as “the headquarters for Tom Roe’s sex trafficking scheme.”

Later that year, the trafficking operation allegedly moved to the Avalon Bay community in Mission Bay, as Roe believed the $10,000-a-month complex offered a more luxurious setting.

Documents suggest both complexes functioned as brothels. Roe would reportedly place women in local nightclubs to attract wealthy men, luring them back to rented rooms listed under one of his victims’ names.

The filing specifies that in addition to paying rent in cash, Roe intended to compensate the front doorman and security guard, who he had invited as a customer.

Allegedly, the doorman allowed unidentified clients into the building with little scrutiny if they were recognized as Roe’s clients, despite being non-residents.

Instances were reported where maintenance staff allegedly witnessed sexual acts occurring and even conducted financial exchanges during their work.

AV was reportedly manipulated and coerced through threats and drug addiction, even being branded on her inner thigh to signify her association with Roe, according to the lawsuit.

This branding reportedly took the form of a tattoo—a striking depiction of an uncorked wine bottle spilling towards her genitals.

If AV fell short of meeting financial expectations, Roe and his associates allegedly resorted to beatings and withheld the drugs she had come to depend on.

AV expressed enduring fear around the idea of leaving, as stated in the court filing.

Now in her mid-twenties, AV is pursuing a jury trial against Avalon Bay Community and South Beach Marina Apartments on grounds of emotional distress and negligence.

Lawyers from Sbaiti & Co. emphasized that the lawsuit seeks to hold the apartment complexes and those connected—owners, security teams, and stakeholders—responsible for the trauma inflicted upon the victims.

Eventually, Roe was apprehended during an FBI sting operation, allowing AV to escape, according to the complaint.

As of now, the FBI has not provided updates regarding arrests or charges related to the reported crimes.

Requests for comments from both apartment complexes went unanswered.