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All Clayton massage parlors shut down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/08/06 01:29 PM
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Clayton County authorities closed 13 massage parlors allegedly fronting for houses of prostitution.
Sheriff Victor Hill and Morrow police Chief Jeff Baker said about 20 owners and managers were arrested. About 35 women who worked at the spas were taken into custody, though they may not be charged with crimes, authorities said.
Those women, almost all Korean nationals, will be deported back to their home nations. A few women may have been forced to work against their wills, authorities said.
Baker and Hill vowed to close every house of prostitution, drugs and gambling in Clayton County, calling them a “cancer” on the community.
“Today, we’ve done major surgery to cut this cancer out,” Hill said. “These places attract drugs, gambling and other illegal acts that lead to violence.”
Rather than round up suspected prostitutes, Hill and Baker said they locked up spa owners and managers and closed up the shops.
“We’re bringing these operations to a close and seizing assets to keep them from re-opening,” Hill said. Baker said said none of the 13 closed spas operated inside Morrow but their existence impacted city residents.
“All the crime here comes from somewhere else,” Baker said. “Crimes are committed by people traveling through Morrow, some going to or from these spa locations.”
Ten spas were in Jonesboro, including five on Tara Boulevard; two were in Riverdale and one was in Lake City, according to information provided by Hill and Baker. They carried names like Sun Spa, Tokyo Spa and New Oriental Spa. Baker said interpreters from other states were brought into aid with the raids.
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