An Australian author has filed a civil suit against a wealthy Florida businessman, accusing him of sex trafficking, forced labor, and inflicting severe emotional distress over a ten-month relationship. Hacia Atherton, 38, alleges that Paul Vitale, 69, a retired FedEx pilot and entrepreneur, manipulated her into a dark and abusive relationship that included coerced sexual encounters and a disturbing pseudo-racial ideology.
Atherton claims that Vitale, whom she met on the dating app Millionaire Match, used his wealth and charm to lure her in. He reportedly showered her with gifts, sponsored her U.S. visa through his consulting firm, Allstar Consulting Services, and offered a glamorous lifestyle, including trips to the Caribbean and stays at his Clearwater Beach condo. Atherton alleges that Vitale exploited her history of childhood sexual abuse and threatened her visa status and safety to control her.
Central to the lawsuit's allegations is Vitale's alleged demand that Atherton wear a titanium collar, which she claims symbolized his ownership of her. She further alleges that Vitale coerced her into participating in BDSM practices, unprotected sex with other men, and subjected her to painful sexual acts. Atherton claims Vitale presented these encounters as a form of racial "reparations," where she, as a white woman, was to satisfy the sexual appetites of Black men.
"By giving his white partner to them and allowing them to do whatever they wanted to do to that white partner is a form of... reparations," Atherton stated, echoing the lawsuit's claims. "I'm the reparations."
The lawsuit details escalating abusive behaviors after Atherton's visa was approved in August, including alleged drugging with alcohol and nitrous oxide to facilitate sexual encounters. Atherton claims Vitale pressured her into sex work, suggesting she open an OnlyFans account and engage in sex with multiple partners for profit. She also alleges Vitale exposed her to child sexual abuse material while pressuring her to masturbate.
After Atherton ended the relationship and moved out in December, she claims Vitale initiated a campaign of online harassment, defamation, and revenge, including allegedly sending explicit footage of her to her ex-husband. Atherton is seeking a jury trial for damages, with her attorney anticipating the case could reach trial by the end of 2027.
Vitale has not publicly responded to the allegations, and no attorney is currently listed for him in court filings. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Florida on June 22 under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. None of the allegations have been proven in court.