On July 29, Ephrata Police arrested a woman in connection with a human trafficking investigation. The 35 year old was charged with one misdemeanor count of promoting prostitution-inmate in a house of prostitution business.
According to Ephrata Police, the investigation began in June after they received two anonymous tips about ABC Rose Spa at 107 West Main Street. Officers determined the business was being used as a front for prostitution after conducting numerous hours of surveillance at the spa and an undercover officer was allegedly propositioned to engage in sexual activity for $150.
As a result, Ephrata Police Department together with the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force and Pennsylvania State Police served a search warrant at the spa, subsequently arresting the 35 year old woman. It is unclear to police whether the woman arrested is an employee or the owner of the spa.
Police reported that the all-female staff employed by ABC Rose Spa are Chinese nationals with no local addresses or connections. Investigation is ongoing as the business and building are being evaluated for possible code violations.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 29 at 9:00am.
The CSE Institute applauds the Ephrata Police Department for launching a human trafficking investigation into the ABC Rose Spa however, we are disappointed in their decision to charge and prosecute this woman for prostitution. In situations such as this, we encourage law enforcement to look into the nuances of the situation to determine if the subject is being exploited.
Here, it is important to highlight the observation that all the employees were female Chinese nationals with no local addresses. Research shows that victims exploited within illicit massage businesses are primarily East Asian, the majority being Chinese. The lack of local addresses may suggest the workers are undocumented immigrants, which is common among victims in illicit massage business and traffickers coerce victims through threats of deportation and document confiscation.
Instead of targeting vulnerable people in prostitution, the CSE Institute encourages law enforcement to investigate the sex buyers who were soliciting sexual services from this illicit massage business. Charging people with prostitution does nothing to eradicate the sex trade. It is the traffickers and buyers who perpetuate sexual exploitation and keep the commercial sex trade alive.
The CSE Institute advocates for the Equality Model to combat commercial sexual exploitation. The Equality Model seeks to reduce the demand for commercial sex by criminalizing sex buyers and traffickers and decriminalizing prostituted people. The four pillars of the Equality Model are: (1) decriminalization of the person who is selling sex, (2) criminalization of sex buyers and facilitators, (3) educating the public about the harms of prostitution, and (4) funded, holistic exit services for victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
Combatting commercial sexual exploitation requires holding sex buyers accountable, identifying victims, and providing them with support. We hope that law enforcement and the district attorney’s offices will use their power to do justice for victims, rather than perpetuate their criminalization. The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as this matter unfolds.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.