Watch VideoProstitution and human trafficking in El Paso County massage parlors
Story By: James Jarman
Source: KOAA
Colorado Springs Published 355 day(s) ago
In a hidden camera investigation News First uncovers a problem that most people seem to either ignore or deny -- human trafficking and prostitution in Southern Colorado.
Although no one keeps track of the problem locally, according to the federal government roughly 17,000 people a year are trafficked into America and forced into what's known as modern day slavery. An untold number of them are forced into prostitution.
Acting on anonymous tips News First set out to see if it could be happening in the Pikes Peak region. Our undercover employee was offered sex for money at all four Asian massage parlors we were told about.
At Tokyo Place, across from a school on South Circle, the woman giving the massage asked him if he was with law enforcement.
Massage Employee: "You not cop?"
News First Employee: "No, I'm no cop."
Massage Employee: "You swear to God?"
News First Employee: "I swear to God I'm not a cop."
She proceeded to offer him sexual services for $40 on top of the $60 he paid for a 1/2 hour massage.
At Kyoto Massage Therapy on West Colorado Avenue, just a few blocks from tourist-friendly Old Colorado City, a woman told him sex is $180, and she wouldn't give him the advertised $40 one half hour massage.
News First Employee: "No massage?" (Massage Employee gestures with her arms and hips a sexual motion)
News First Employee: "How much?"
Massage Employee: "$180."
News First Employee: "$180? For what?" (Massage Employee again gestures with her arms and hips a sexual motion)
News First Employee: "For... For everything?" (massage Employee nods yes)
"Everything" is full sex and it was offered at 2 of the massage parlors. The other 2 offered other sexual services that did not include full sex. Undercover Metro Vice and Narcotics Lieutenant Al Harmon says prostitution is out of control in El Paso County massage parlors. "Nearly all the oriental massage parlors that are operating in unincorporated El Paso County are giving massages and in turn are offering sex for money," he said.
Metro Vice also thinks some of the women are human trafficking victims forced into what human rights groups call "modern day slavery." When asked if there are sex slaves in El Paso County Lieutenant Harman answered, "Yes there are. We have had a couple women come forward and tell us that they were forced to perform prostitution in several massage parlors."
News First was unable to prove the women at the parlors we visited are human trafficking victims. We quickly realized no one has a firm grasp on how widespread the problem is locally, only that it is happening. Much of that was attributed to a lack of resources for law enforcement and public denial that it's happening, which seems to result in a lack of interest, according to sources involved with several human rights groups.
Officers also say bringing a trafficker to justice is difficult because the victims stop cooperating and are quickly rushed out of town and can't be found. That's something the non profit group Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking confirms. Network member Seth Donovan and interpreters have been called in by law enforcement to help victims at massage parlor prostitution busts. They also helped pass a human trafficking state law 2 years ago.
"We've had zero convictions in Colorado," said Donovan, "Again because of the difficulties of investigating the crime of trafficking."
She says those difficulties include victims coerced to keep quiet. "They've been lied to, threats against themselves or their families, they may not be comfortable with the language in their area," she explained, "They may not know what's accessible to them as far as services, law enforcement and support goes."
Metro Vice officers say beyond trafficking they can't even stop the prostitution at massage parlors unless El Paso County passes some new laws.
"We need some type of regulation that, if it's proven that that's what they're doing and they're engaging in illegal activity then they need to be shut down," said Lt. Harmon.
For now, he says, no matter how many arrests are made, the neighborhood parlors will stay open for business.
The cities of Colorado Springs, Woodland Park and Pueblo have massage industry regulations, but El Paso County does not.
None of the owners or managers of the parlors we went to, all just outside the Springs city limit, returned our calls.
According to Metro Vice, the Colorado Springs area is on a human trafficking circuit that includes Denver, Chicago and Seattle.
The victims are usually shuttled off to different locations once a prostitution bust is made.
TOP 10 MASSAGE PARLORS WHERE COLORADO SPRINGS METRO VICE HAS MADE PROSTITUTION ARRESTS
SIAM'S 1783 B Street
TOKYO PLACE 2870 S. Circle Dr
KYOTO MASSAGE 3419 W. Colorado Ave
MAGIC MOMENTS 2047 B Street
ORIENTAL SPA MASSAGE 955 N. Powers Blvd
OMAHA ORIENTAL MASSAGE 6453 Omaha Blvd
PENNEY'S 1325 Paonia St. ORIENTAL HOUSE-New location 6345 E. Platte Ave
RAINBOW SPA 3132 W. Colorado Ave
KINJA SPA- New location 4080 Clearview Frontage Rd
