It is organized prostitution operating under the guise of massage therapy. It can set up overnight, in an old home, a trailer or even have a legitimate looking storefront. Right now, eight businesses advertising massages are under investigation for prostitution across the state and four of those are in North Alabama.
Last year, James helped bust 16 massage parlors for offering sex, including Royal Spa sitting along Highway 72 in Madison. The spa was in business since until it was shut down. Investigators found it was tied to a multi-state prostitution ring connected to gang activity. The girl that works here or at a spa, she may not know who the boss is," added James. These operations are run by human traffickers and it boils down to modern day slavery.
They are working their bondage off is what they're doing," said James. Alabama is a hotspot for human trafficking simply because of the major highways running through it. Then Georgia, a lot of contacts in Georgia then they work the east coast," explained James. James is the only investigator working for the Alabama Massage Therapy Board that issues licenses to businesses and therapists. Under state law, he can go in without a search warrant to inspect businesses suspected of prostitution but still has to coordinate with local district attorneys and law enforcement to make the arrest.
However, resources and manpower is an issue. Most times, he's working off a tip from legitimate therapists who report shady practices. It's easy to find through a Craigslist ad, Backpage. We pulled up a review of a business in Huntsville where users claimed to have received sex acts during a massage.
As a legitimate massage therapist, Sullivan said sex work hiding behind massages is giving the industry a bad name. We love what we do so when we get associated with those other businesses it's very offensive and insulting," added Sullivan.
