A Franklin County judge shut down two Columbus massage parlors that prosecutors allege in a lawsuit offered more services than advertised, including operating an “extensive network” of prostitution and sex trafficking.
City Attorney Zach Klein and Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor jointly sued the two spas: Rejuvenation Spa, 5841 Karric Square Drive, on Columbus’ Northwest Side, and Red Beans Spa, 1066 Norton Road, on the Far West Side.
The two attorneys said in a news release that the court order to shut down the businesses, which are affiliated with each other and owned by the same people, came after years of surveillance and investigation by both Columbus police and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
Franklin County Environmental Judge Stephanie Mingo signed the order on May 13, and authorities executed it on May 14.
As of early afternoon May 15, the businesses’ owners did not face criminal charges, according to online court records.
The Franklin County Prosecutor’s office said a criminal investigation is ongoing and being led by the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
According to the lawsuit, police took a report of a sexual assault at Rejuvenation Spa in late 2019, as well as additional complaints in 2021 and 2022 involving allegations of sex crimes or prostitution.
Attorneys allege in the lawsuit that some of the complaints came from customers who said employees offered them “happy endings” and inappropriately touched them without their consent.
A multi-year Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force investigation, which involved inspections, found evidence of people living on the property, which is a common sign of sex trafficking, prosecutors allege in the lawsuit.
In October, Columbus police began getting similar complaints about Red Beans Spa.
Surveillance at both massage parlors between December and May found the majority of customers at both parlors were male, prosecutors allege in the lawsuit. Investigators also found used condoms, bodily fluids and related items.
Detectives saw the owners and managers of both spas taking female employees to common addresses, including the owners’ home, the lawsuit states.
Websites used by those seeking illicit services listed both Rejuvenation Spa and Red Beans Spa, with customer reviews from as recently as April, and included details of sexual services offered and their costs, prosecutors stated in the lawsuit. The online postings identify at least two of the spas’ owners as providing the services advertised.
Klein called the allegations “abhorrent” and said his office will continue to work to hold perpetrators accountable. The city is also seeking to revoke the massage parlors’ licenses.
“What investigators documented at these properties over years of surveillance represents a pattern of deliberate, organized exploitation of vulnerable populations,” Favor said. “This court order is one tool, and we used it. But the message to anyone operating a similar front in Franklin County is straightforward: we are paying attention and we will not allow businesses to serve as cover for sex trafficking, prostitution or the exploitation of residents.”
A May 21 hearing is scheduled to determine whether Mingo’s temporary order may remain in place.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus massage parlors shut down over prostitution allegations
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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