Man sues Marriott for $160M, says he woke up to stranger sexually assaulting him

CHARLOTTE — A Mississippi man said he was staying in a room at the Marriott on West Trade Street in Uptown Charlotte in April 2022 when he woke up to a stranger performing a sex act on him.

The victim is now suing Marriott for $160 million while the suspect, Jermaine Lamont Peay, faces criminal charges.

The lawsuit states, “The self-closing and self-locking door (to his room) was not functioning properly, and the door did not properly latch or lock.”

The victim said when he woke up to Peay sexually assaulting him, he “howled in terror and lashed out to punch Peay,” who allegedly grabbed the victim’s wallet and phone and took off.

The victim argues the hotel did not have adequate security measures, claiming the suspect got in through an unlocked door in the parking garage and was never stopped, according to the lawsuit.

That wasn’t the first or latest run-in with the law that Peay has had.

Channel 9 found six mugshots of him in Mecklenburg County, charged with other crimes, including going armed to the terror of the people, assaulting a campus police officer, and more.

Police were called to the Marriott 85 times in three years, according to a 911 call log.

Those included assaults, a human-trafficking call, and others.

Channel 9 is waiting on a response from Marriott.

According to court records, Peay is still awaiting trial for the burglary and the sexual offenses.

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