CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Chesterfield Police are now investigating a fourth business so far this year partaking in illicit massages.
This time they made three arrests at a location off of Hull Street Road.
The department continues to crackdown and said this is something they are serious about.
The most recent arrest was at the Ocean Spa and Massage where they said an employee asked an undercover detective if he wanted a sexual act for additional costs during the massage. They then discovered employees including the owner did not even have the proper permits to give massages.
Police then arrested three employees on charges ranging from prostitution, giving an illegal massage without a permit, and staying in a place associated illicit activities.
CBS6 went to the business during their posted operating hours for a response to these charges, but the doors were locked and no one answered the phone.
Chesterfield Police have made similar arrests at three other illicit massage businesses in the county since the start of the year. That’s Golden Finger Massage off Chester Road, Unique Foot Relaxing off Robious Road, and Touch Point Massage off Chochtaw Road.
Officials said all four business have employees with ties to a city in New York.
And they say they are actively investigating if human trafficking is also linked to these businesses.
“Some of these women are being brought down under the guise that they are being taken for work and once they get here they can’t find their way out of it and they didn’t plan to go into this type of work, and if they did they can’t get out," said Captain Rich McCullough with the special investigations division.
Chesterfield Police said the county's recent addition of a required permit for all massage businesses is also helping them crack down on illegal practices.
They said they needed that in place because they were finding if they shut one down the owner was trying to open another in a different part of the county.
“It gives us better control over who is running these businesses and the ability to make sue the people opening these businesses don’t have criminal records and the massage therapist don’t have things in their background that would be of concern," he said.
Police are finding the problem is widespread across the county, and they plan to continue this crackdown until no more illegal actions in this industry are taking place.
“I would just say if you are engaged with this, at some point we are going to figure out who you are, and eventually hopefully shut you down," McCullough said.
If you have any information that could help police with these investigations you are asked to call chesterfield police special investigations division at 804-453-3758
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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