Connecticut: prostitution in massage parlors persists even after the new legislation
Yesterday, a news article reported that police arrested two Asian women for prostitution charges. The women were arrested during the prostitution ring raid after the police received information that there might be prostitution operating in the building. After the police further received confirmed evidences, the 45 year old owner of the Spa and her 43 year old employee were arrested for performing illegal sexual activities. But, what is notable about this case is that it was only seven months ago that the police just shut down a massage parlor operating in the same building. In particular, the state of Connecticut also recently implemented a new massage parlor regulation in order to regulate illegal sexual activities in the state.
Number of massage parlors in the state
Currently, Connecticut has 38 erotic massage parlors statewide, which carry out various sexual flavors. 20 of these 38 massage parlors advertise that they offer sexual intercourse and kissing upon John's request. 16 of the 38 erotic massage parlors in Connecticut are Korean, 7 of them are Chinese, and 4 of them are Caucasian according to an erotic service website. Such number of erotic massage parlor business in Connecticut therefore shows the scope and the depth of the problem with illegal massage parlors throughout the state.
Legislative efforts
Last year, the state legislators stepped up when they decided to place on further restrictions on massage parlors. Under the new legislation which became effective in October 2009, persons practicing massage services without a license are fined up to $500.00 and can spend up to 90 days in jail. The legislators hoped that the new regulation would deter illegal sexual services performed in many massage parlors in Connecticut.
The loophole
However, the case reported yesterday shows an obvious reason why the current legislation is not enough to resolve the problem with prostitution in massage parlors in Connecticut state. First, for these women or any sex traffickers, $500.00 is a joke comparing to the incentives they gain by operating an illegal massage parlor. A woman working at a massage parlor or sex industry can easily make a couple of hundred dollars by performing sexual services in a day. In fact, high profits for a little work one does is one of the main reasons why many women in sex industry have hard time getting out of the industry despite of its destructive lifestyle. Furthermore, serving 90 days in jail will not do much good to stop prostitution and illegal massage parlors prospering in the state. Many women, in particular those of Asian descent, choose to move from one massage parlor to another massage parlor in order to avoid police raids and arrests. Therefore, After serving the jail time, they can always call their connections to move to a different state and perform sexual services in another massage parlor. Or as one investigative reporter pointed out, they can open a nail salon business to begin another prostitution ring, which is becoming a new trend involving the Asian sex trafficking and prostituting rings in New England area.
What can be done further?
The state should fine the owner of the premise for occupying illegal activities in his or her property. As mentioned above, the report states that the police arrested the two women in the same premise that they shut down illegal massage parlor seven month ago. Had the owner of the premise harshly penalized for occupying the previous illegal massage parlor, he would have been discouraged from making the same mistake by occupying another illegal business in his building. Furthermore, the state should monitor the prostitution or sex trafficking ring that may prosper through nail salon businesses in the region. Lastly, state needs to work with the advocates who will provide counseling and assistance to the victims so that they will not fall back into the lifestyle that a brothel has to offer to them.
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