A “Jane Doe” sold for sex in Nevada brothels, where she was allegedly withheld necessary medications and forced into debt, is fighting to remain anonymous after a judge ruled she must disclose her identity to the public if she wants to pursue charges against her abusers and state officials accused of providing legal cover for abuse.
The anonymous plaintiff is represented by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a national nonprofit that advocates against all forms of sexual abuse through legal and legislative action.
On Friday, NCOSE filed its opening arguments to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a bid to reverse an earlier ruling that Jane Doe must disclose her identity to the public and denied the survivor a protective order, despite the plaintiff’s concerns about the physical dangers she could face from her traffickers.
“We are fighting back against an unjust ruling denying Jane Doe’s right to proceed using a pseudonym and her right to a protective order. The judge had ruled that she must disclose her identity to the public,” Christen Price, senior legal counsel at NCOSE, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.
“If she were to do so, Doe’s very life would be threatened. This ruling has extensive ramifications for other sex trafficking survivors who seek justice against their abusers,” the attorney asserted. “No one should have to choose between their personal safety or pursuing claims against their abusers.”
In October 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada allowed Jane Doe’s case against the brothel defendants to proceed, but “denied the motion for a protective order and leave to proceed pseudonymously.”
The court then ordered the victim to file a notice disclosing her identity within 15 days of the order, or her claims would be “dismissed without prejudice.” While the plaintiff filed a motion for reconsideration in November 2024, the district court denied it in early April, ordering the plaintiff once again to disclose her identity.
On April 25, the district court ordered the case “dismissed without prejudice” and entered a final judgment on April 28. Jane Doe then filed her notice of appeal on May 28, 2025.
“Sex trafficking survivors are commonly granted pseudonymity when seeking justice against their abusers. The defendants already have a right to learn Doe’s name later on in the case, which we are not disputing,” Price told CP.
“What the defendants want is her name now and publicly so that they can shame her in the media — they even admitted this in their own filings. But survivors should not be tried in a court of public opinion. We are seeking a reversal of the court’s previous opinion so that Doe can safely pursue justice,” the lawyer added.
While prostitution is legal in Nevada, Jane Doe maintains that, between 2017 and 2023, her abusers forced her to engage in commercial sex acts by restricting her movements and other forms of coercion, according to a lawsuit filed last February.
Four brothels are named in the lawsuit, including Mustang Ranch, which is owned by Lance Gilman, who previously served as Storey County Commissioner. Other brothels mentioned in the suit are the Chicken Ranch, Bella’s Hacienda Ranch and Desert Rose.
In addition to pursuing legal action against the brothels, Jane Doe also sued Nevada state and county officials, with the suit arguing that Nevada’s policies allowed the abusive brothels to operate right out in the open. Nevada is the only U.S. state where prostitution is not illegal, and the lawsuit accuses government officials of providing legal cover for sex trafficking.
The lawsuit asserts that Jane Doe’s experiences at the brothels constituted a violation of the 13th Amendment, which bans slavery and involuntary servitude. In addition, the suit argues that the defendants violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Several of the brothels were surrounded by high, barbed wire fences or locked gates, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff alleges that she and the other women at these brothels were not allowed to leave without permission, not even to step outside into the locked yard.
The staff at the brothels allegedly forced the victim to open her mail and medications in front of them. During her time at Chicken Ranch, the owners reportedly withheld Jane Doe’s medication from her, and if she received any jewelry, then the staff forced her to sell it and claimed half the proceeds.
Taking money from the plaintiff and other women was a common practice at many of these brothels, according to the survivor. The brothel staff would typically take 50% of the money Jane Doe and the other women received from sex buyers, and they would also fine the women for minor offenses, such as using too many towels.
As a result, many women in these brothels fell into debt, making it easier for the brothel staff to coerce and control them.
The living and working conditions at many of the brothels left much to be desired, according to the suit. Women were forced to wear heels, even if injured, and they were required to work 24-hour shifts. During these 24-hour shifts, the women at the brothels could not take a nap or use the restroom without permission.
Due to the quality of the food at many of the brothel locations, Jane Doe was even hospitalized at one point.
The victim escaped by calling an Uber, which took her to a hotel that allowed the survivor to stay for free.
Managers of two brothels named in the suit contested the lawsuit’s claims in an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal last year. Tara Adkins, the acting madam at Mustang Ranch, said in a statement to the newspaper that the brothel will fight the lawsuit “vigorously.”
Bella Cummins told the newspaper that the lawsuit’s claims don’t involve her brothel, Bella’s Hacienda Ranch, where she has worked for decades. She also claimed that “ladies choose this career,” calling brothels a “humanitarian idea.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
