Florida cops accuse 20 spa workers of prostitution in sting dubbed 'Operation Skin So Soft' - Daily Mail

[Kelly Garino]

By KELLY GARINO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: 01:39 EST, 9 November 2024 | Updated: 01:52 EST, 9 November 2024


A group of massage therapists in Florida have been arrested amid claims they offered to perform sex acts to undercover detectives during a two-day sting dubbed 'Operation Skin So Soft'.

During the two-day operation, which began this past Monday, undercover detectives went to 22 different Asian massage parlors around Polk County to get massages from licensed therapists.

But 20 of those women - who are all from the Republic of China - offered sex acts to the detectives completely unprompted.

One of the women arrested was said to have 'tried to have full sex' with the detective even after he denied her advances.

The name given to the sting - 'Operation Skin So Soft' - was inspired by a compliment given to an undercover officer while they were auditing the massage parlors.

'One of the ladies said "Oh, your skin's so soft. You must work inside,"' Grady Judd, the Polk County Sheriff, said in a press conference.

'Well, sometimes we work in massage parlors.'

The large-scale investigation came after Polk County Police conducted an examination of 22 different massage parlors in the Davenport, Dundee, Lakeland and Winter Haven areas to make sure they were in compliance with the law.

It was discovered that 12 out of the 22 establishments audited were allegedly participating in illegal activity, including prostitution.

It led to the arrests of the women - three of whom were US citizens while the others were here on work visas.

'I don't think the federal government had in mine this kind of work when they gave them a work visa, but they're here anyway,' Judd stated.

One of the women, Jinxia Huang, 37, charged $60 for what was supposed to be a legitimate massage.

But she quickly began up-charging the undercover detective before 'inappropriately handling' and attempting to 'have full sex' him - leaving him to push her off and get up to leave.

'She was extremely aggressive,' Judd noted. 'At this point she grabbed him and tried to get him to sit back down. She stood in front of the door so he couldn't leave and then she tried to hold him down.'

Huang is being charged with offering to commit prostitution as well as battery and false imprisonment.

The oldest of the women taken into custody, 64-year-old Yan Luo, was paid $60 for a 45 minute massage - but she left the room and returned with a condom wrapped up in paper.

Luo up-charged the undercover cop $290 for a grand total of $350 for a 'legal massage'.

The detective never said one word about illegal massages or 'happy endings', but she became 'very very aggressive' and tried to have sex with him anyway.

Ruifen Ren, also 64, charged $80 for a one hour session - but just 30 minutes into the massage, she returned to the room with 'exotic oil', dimmed the lights, and began massaging the detective in areas that constituted illegal conduct.

Even as the detective continuously told her that he only wanted a regular massage, she proceeded to try and upcharge him to engage in sexual acts three different times.

In addition to the 20 massage therapists who were arrested, another woman, 55-year-old Xiu Lin, was arrested for interfering with detectives as they arrested someone else.

One of the women was from Lakeland, Florida, but the others said that they frequently traveled around.

'It appears that all of these ladies are on a circuit,' Judd explained. 'They don't stay here for any lengthy period of time.'

During the press conference, the Sheriff warned customers to be cautious when they go into one of these facilities because someone may be recording it.

'Stay out of those places,' he warned. 'We continuously audit these places to make sure they are complying with the law.

'My message is, if you don't want to go to jail, don't do it. My message to is also to potential customers... Hey, your picture can be up on the board next too. But it's a choice,' he added.

'And if it's up there, I don't want to hear any whining and complaining because I stood here and gave you a warning today.'

Sheriff Judd also noted how most of the businesses do follow the law and the new regulations that require the parlor to keep a record of who gives the massage and who receives it.

The department is now working with the federal government to deport the 18 therapists who were here on US work visas.

'We want them back in their home country if they are not citizens of the United States,' he said.

'You come here. You even legally come here, and you violate the law, you should have lost our trust at the federal level, and you should be returned to your home country.'

Detectives are also investigating whether sex trafficking was involved.

FloridaTaiwan

 

[Jumpin’ Jack Flash]