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El Paso County Sheriff says massage parlor prostitution is out of control
Story By: James Jarman
Source: KOAA
Colorado Springs Published 355 day(s) ago
New developments from our undercover investigation into human trafficking and prostitution in El Paso County.
Sheriff Terry Maketa says News First Investigates is shining a light on a problem that's been growing out of control, and bringing some of the criminals to justice is a losing battle. Since there are no state or county laws regulating massage therapists, the Sheriff says he feels like law enforcement's "hands are tied."
As we've reported, a News First undercover employee was offered sex for money at several Asian massage parlors in unincorporated El Paso County.
"The problem is much bigger than what a lot of people think it is," the Sheriff said. He wants the community to know that illegal activity, like prostitution, happens at almost all the massage parlors in El Paso County.
"They (the public) need to realize that this is more than just prostitution in a hidden room. There's other crimes associated that deteriorate these communities where they exist. There's other illegal activity taking place, human trafficking being one of them," he said.
There are also the violent crimes, like the rape and attempted murder of an employee at Tokyo Place Massage last July. A female employee living inside the parlor, which is a converted gas station, was raped and stabbed several times with a screw driver. "So it's a whole underground of criminal activity and it does feel like our hands are tied," said Maketa.
He also says he wants to shut down the parlors where prostitution's happening, but with no one at the county or state level regulating the massage industry, those businesses in the County are staying open no matter how many arrests are made.
"Having some type of regulation, some type of licensing would dramatically turn the tide to our favor and that's what we need if we're really going to have an impact on these operations," he said.
He says if you want to help, you can urge the El Paso County Commissioners or State Representatives to pass laws regulating the massage industry. Without that, he predicts the problem will continue to grow.
El Paso County Commissioners Contact Information
Wayne Williams
719-439-1870
Douglas Bruce
719-520-6412
Sallie Clark
Phone: 719-520-6413
Fax: 719-520-6397
Dennis Hisey
Phone: 719-520-6414
Fax: 719-520-6397
Jim Bensberg
Phone: 719-520-6415
Fax: 719-520-6397
State Senators from El Paso County
Senate District 10 -- available
State Representatives from El Paso County
