South Florida massage therapists who work late at night said a proposed law to set hours of operation would not infringe on their freedom to work whenever they want.
Asked about a new bill that would ban massage establishments from operating between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., several South Florida massage therapists and business owners said it's not a bad idea.
"That doesn't bother me," said Lisa Wong, owner of the East Village Spa on State Road 7 in Davie. Wong, whose spa closes at 10 p.m., said her business relies on night traffic from the nearby Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
A Florida House of Representatives subcommittee Wednesday unanimously voted to support the legislative effort to crack down on human trafficking and sexual exploitation in massage parlors.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dave Kerner, D-Lake Worth, also would make it illegal for massage establishments to allow anybody to live on the premises.
If passed into law, the proposed legislation would take effect Oct. 1.
Despite the optimism expressed by lawmakers after Wednesday's vote, not everybody was totally excited about the proposed changes.
When the subcommittee met in Tallahassee on Wednesday, a member of the Florida State Massage Therapy Association questioned the hours restriction. He said there are legitimate late-night clients including airline pilots and theatrical performers.
"Personally, as a licensed professional, it's hard to accept that I'm being limited on the hours I'm allowed to work," Alex Spassoff told the subcommittee.
Spassoff, based in Tampa and licensed since 1976, said the hours of operation restriction should be between midnight and 5 a.m., not 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The legislative effort comes amid increasing awareness of potential human trafficking in disreputable massage parlors. Police and federal agents fear that victims are being forced to live on the premises while working long hours and performing sex acts on clients.
Across the country, law enforcement has been witnessing that that exact scenario play out. A Department of Justice spokesperson cited recent federal prosecutions involving brothels posing as massage parlors in several states including Alabama, California, New York, Montana, Missouri and Illinois since 2003.
There have also been several prostitution-related arrests at local massage parlors in recent years. Last April, the owner of an unlicensed Hollywood massage parlor was charged with running a house of prostitution. Two employees were also charged with fraudulently representing themselves as licensed massage therapists.
More recently, law enforcement officials in South Florida have been reluctant to go into detail about the late-night massage parlor industry because of ongoing investigations. But they are suspicious of certain practices.
"If you're going for a massage after 10 p.m., you might work (a late) shift, it may be legit, but it does lend itself to people wondering if it's actually credible," said Adriane P. Reesey, community specialist with the Broward Sheriff's Office and chair of the Broward Human Trafficking Coalition.
Reesey said she has noticed a new trend among the late-night massage establishments in
Broward County. Many of the businesses seem to be dropping the cliche blacked-out front windows for colorful, lit-up murals depicting massage scenes.
"They're drawing more attention, which is interesting to me," Reesey said.
Kerner, a former Alachua police officer, said it would seem evident that late-night massage establishments are a "hotbed" of illicit sexual activity.
"I think what law enforcement has communicated to us is that a lot of these illicit business tend to attract customers or should we say, johns, during the late-night hours," Kerner said.
As well, public officials and law enforcement keep tabs on websites such as Craigslist and backpage.com, where massage establishments post sexually suggestive advertisements.
"Prostate relaxation available also," reads one ad for a Sunrise-based 'spa,' posted to the Fort Lauderdale 'body rubs' section of backpage.com. Another selling point in the same ad is "Sexy girls!!!"
Wong said that despite perceptions, massage parlors like hers are not engaging in sexual activity.
"Most people are good people," Wong said, referring to her fellow masseuses who work seemingly unconventional hours. "They want to make a living. It's a job."
Linda Sullivan, executive director of the Miami-based Building Empowerment by Stopping Trafficking organization, said any attempt to thwart the demand for sex trafficking in massage parlors is a good thing.
But Sullivan said more attention needs to be paid to resources that address the needs of human trafficking victims.
"I do think we need to focus on long-term housing for (victims)," Sullivan said.
bsclarkson@tribune.com, 561-243-6609 or Twitter @BrettClarkson_
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