KENNEWICK — Human traffickers disguise among the many dozens of therapeutic massage therapists working legally within the Tri-Cities.
An ordinance handed final yr gave Kennewick police instruments to actively get hold of the innocuous wanting storefronts the place girls are being trafficked.
Officers have performed common inspections of therapeutic massage companies since late 2023 when the ordinance went into impact.
Since beginning, town has inspected 36 therapeutic massage companies, of these they’ve discovered 5 the place human trafficking was believed occurring.
The most recent three have been areas that they shut down on Feb. 20 throughout a sequence of raids. Undercover detectives went in and once they have been supplied intercourse, they left and police went in to make arrests, Kennewick Sgt. Ryan Kelly informed the Tri-Metropolis Herald.
Detectives discovered three girls managing the areas in addition to two girls being trafficked. The areas have been shut down and the managers have been arrested and charged with misdemeanors.
If convicted, they might withstand 90 days in jail and as much as a $1,000 tremendous.
Kennewick Detective Kris Safranek stated shutting down the companies is town’s newest victory within the pursuit of illicit therapeutic massage parlors within the Tri-Cities.
Town began aggressively pursuing illicit therapeutic massage parlors in 2023 after a sequence of investigations between March and Could uncovered 5 companies accused of providing sexual providers.
The rules have confirmed to be a solution to shut down the storefronts by giving police extra oversight of them and making house owners ineligible to use for a brand new metropolis license to reopen.
Whereas Pasco and Richland have ordinances governing therapeutic massage companies, neither has provisions that permit police inspections or to limit the enterprise hours.
Safranek, who has been a part of the inspections since they began in late 2023, stated it’s Kennewick’s aggressiveness and suggestions from folks that have led to the raids.
Thus far, they’ve acquired 9 suggestions, and the bulk have led to companies being shut down.
“We’re the only one in the Tri-Cities that has an ordinance like ours,” Safranek stated.
He stated detectives from different Tri-Metropolis companies have been working with Kennewick.
He stated town is battling organized crime succesful for bringing in girls from China and shuffling them amongst cities.
Function within the open
Most illicit therapeutic massage companies function with an air of legitimacy. Two of the companies searched final week — Genesis Spa and Lotus Therapeutic massage, each on Clearwater Avenue — had companies licenses and registered with the state.
In line with state data, they opened in March 2024, after the brand new guidelines in Kennewick have been put into place. Each areas have been owned by restricted legal responsibility companies each created inside a yr and a half of the areas being opened.
Safranek stated the house owners of the illicit therapeutic massage parlors usually come from Seattle or Portland for the preliminary inspection, displaying the entire appropriate state licenses for the time interval.
As soon as they clear that hurdle, the house owners disappear and depart the operation within the arms of native managers. In lots of circumstances, the house owners may have a number of areas throughout the state and even inside the similar metropolis.
For instance, Genesis Spa’s proprietor has a Bonney Lake handle, and the proprietor of Lotus Therapeutic massage additionally has a Western Washington handle, in line with public data.
The identical areas seem to draw the identical companies, Safranek stated. Specifically, Lotus Therapeutic massage was beforehand the house of ShangriLa Therapeutic massage, one among companies shut down in Could 2023.
It’s unclear if there’s a hyperlink between the companies. State data say that the companies have been owned by completely different corporations.
The plain wanting constructing on the nook of Kellogg Road additionally homes accountants and is owned by an organization known as S L Ventures Partnership, which makes use of the constructing as its handle.
Safranek has seen in a single case the place the placement didn’t even change the furnishings within the ready room. Usually, they’ll change possession and open once more. The spots usually have the entire tools to supply massages, so it’s straightforward for a brand new firm to maneuver in.
When the areas are leases, police have been speaking with the house owners about how their property is getting used, Safranek stated.
Whereas the companies function in quiet storefronts, they don’t disguise their commercials. Ads with lurid photos for areas within the Tri-Cities will be discovered on web sites which might be used for sexual providers.
The commercials don’t present a location. As a substitute individuals name a quantity and are directed to a enterprise.
Trafficked girls
Kennewick police have labored carefully with Mirror Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit, to assist the ladies they discover on the areas. The group has offered police with a translator and presents to assist the ladies.
The trafficked girls discovered on Feb. 20 have been from China they usually accepted assist from Mirror Ministries.
They all the time give the identical story to investigators, Safranek stated. They’ve identification from New York or California, and stated they solely arrived a day or week earlier than and don’t know what metropolis they have been in.
They usually say that they’re making an attempt to repay payments to assist their household in China.
Safranek stated the ladies have a tendency to remain in a single city for a couple of month earlier than they’re shuffled to a different location in one other metropolis.
The ladies additionally usually dwell on the therapeutic massage companies. There may be usually a room within the again with a mattress and meals.
“It’s obvious that some of them are living on location,” he stated.
Kennewick’s historical past
Kennewick’s ordinance geared toward pursuing illicit therapeutic massage parlors has its roots in a March 2023 raid, when a Chelan County operation uncovered a therapeutic massage parlor in Kennewick owned by a Tacoma man, Linhui Han. Whereas police solely investigated one location in Kennewick, he allegedly owned 4 in Tri-Cities.
All have been shut down after the investigation.
He was charged in Chelan County Superior Court docket with main organized crime, cash laundering and second-degree selling prostitution. Police spent practically a yr looking for him earlier than he was arrested in March 2024.
He pleaded responsible to second-degree selling prostitution in December 2024 and was sentenced to a few months in jail. He additionally misplaced his license to function a therapeutic massage remedy enterprise in Washington.
Then police accompanied Division of Well being officers once they inspected six therapeutic massage parlors. 4 have been discovered to have supplied sexual providers, the opposite two didn’t have the correct documentation.
All have been closed down.
Main as much as that first raid, Kennewick’s then mayor, Invoice McKay approached Police Chief Chris Guerrero about data he had about illicit therapeutic massage parlors.
McKay later admitted to police that he paid for a “happy ending.”
The Pierce County prosecutor’s workplace reviewed the investigation and determined to not cost McKay with against the law.
Reliable companies
Many of the therapeutic massage companies in Kennewick are official, Safranek stated, noting of the 36 inspections, solely 5 are accused of providing to promote intercourse acts.
The companies they are saying are working illegally have been found due to individuals’s complaints.
If an individual goes right into a therapeutic massage enterprise and seems like one thing is unsuitable, or in the event that they’re supplied sexual providers, police requested residents to report it. Anybody with details about illicit therapeutic massage companies can attain police utilizing the non-emergency dispatch quantity at 509-628-0333.
Kennewick additionally has an nameless tip web site at kpdtips.com.
Safranek is optimistic concerning the metropolis’s probabilities of curbing illicit therapeutic massage parlors. He stated if the division had a detective devoted to investigating therapeutic massage parlors full time, they might doubtless discover extra issues.
“If we stay on top of them, I don’t have any doubt that we can get rid of them,” he stated.
