“We want to have good, lawful businesses and none that create police calls,” Cohen said.
Other cities are looking to do the same. In Greene County, Beavercreek city council members will vote Sept. 28 on a plan to require any massage business to register with the city and provide a list of employees. All new employees must be registered with the city within a month of their start date. A business must renew its registration every year.
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Springboro passed an ordinance like this in 2016. Springboro Police Chief Jeff Kruithoff said this legislation has eliminated any suspicious spas.
“This legislation is very effective,” Kruithoff said. “This has gone really well. We haven’t had any issues since passing it. It gives the city an enforcement mechanism that is cleaner that having an undercover officer go in.”
With the new Beavercreek legislation, the city can investigate any massage business that doesn’t renew its license or comply with other stipulations.
Virginia Bremback, who works for the Women’s Centers of Ohio, said her organization often sees the victims in these sex trafficking situations if they get pregnant.
“Legislation like this is absolutely imperative,” Bremback said. “This will help take a bite out of the problem, but this is bigger than Beavercreek. It’s bigger than Ohio.”
The Interstate 75 corridor is a hot-spot for sex trafficking, Bremback said. Massage businesses and spas have been raided or shutdown in multiple cities in the past year on suspicion of illegal activities.
“When we see (sex trafficking victims), they are so frightened. They’ll get shipped up the 75 corridor after they see us,” she said.
Every organization should have training on how to spot signs of sex trafficking, Bremback said, such as staying open late at night, no employee cars or workers who seem to be living at the business.
Landrum said this legislation legitimizes massage businesses that are operating honestly.
“It will help clearly identify who is legitimate and who is not,” Landrum said.
In Middletown, the latest case is an example of issues faced by police, officials said. On Aug. 21, members of the police Special Operations Unit executed a search warrant at A+/Hong Massage, 621 S. Breiel Blvd. as a result of a lengthy investigation of solicitation and prostitution.
Police entered the business and identified four Asian females inside. The establishment has four total massage rooms, reception area, laundry room, bath room and storage area. Officers recovered $6,398 which included money used in the undercover operation, documents and cell phones.
Two women, Min Yang, 37, of Lockport, Ill., and, Xuemei Li, 29, of Lawrenceville, Ga., also gave the same address at a Middletown address. Both were charged with solicitation, a third-degree misdemeanor. They are are being held at the Middletown City Jail on a holder from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The women will next appear in court on Sept. 25.
Eric Schwartzburg contributed to this report.
