Aurora looks to use licensing to push out illicit massage parlors, bring other cities on board

AURORA | Instead of using the typical law enforcement strategy to bust illicit massage parlors for human trafficking and prostitution, Aurora city officials want to tackle the problem through licensing and regulation with hopes other Denver Metro communities will follow suit.

The city is in the process of drafting a new ordinance that, if passed by city council, would require massage therapy businesses to go through an application process similar to getting a liquor license.

While the city already has an ordinance for massage parlor licensing, there are no licensed massage parlors in Aurora.

“The definition of massage parlor excludes facilities which are operated for the purpose of massage therapy performed by a licensed massage therapist,” said Trevor Vaughn, manager of the city’s tax and licensing department. “All of Aurora’s massage businesses are opened by people that have a state massage therapist license.

And that’s the rub, officials say. State licenses are relatively easy to obtain, and the business itself gets little scrutiny until complaints come in or suspicions surface.

The new ordinance would rescind the old one and require a license for any massage facility that practices massage therapy, excluding sole proprietors. Vaughn said there are between 12 and 20 massage parlors city officials believe are engaging in illegal business.

Councilwoman Angela Lawson pushed the city to address the illegal parlors after she said there were concerns of a parlor engaging in human trafficking near where she gets her hair done. Lawson said there were safety concerns and at different times she noticed the business was open, but the doors were locked.

“My thought was that if this is happening in this building, it’s happening elsewhere in the city, too,” she said.

And it is, officials say.

“The city has shut down multiple locations in recent months utilizing various tactics to include presenting evidence to the landlord to obtain an eviction. This evidence includes reviews of prostitution, and zoning violations with people living in the business,” according to city documents. “Not all landlords have cooperated in this respect. In November, licensing summarily suspended three establishments and two had their business licenses revoked for unlicensed practice and other code violations. This approach is reactionary and is not able to address all of the suspected locations.”

Vaughn told the Aurora Sentinel these illicit businesses are in the minority of overall massage therapy facilities in the city. So, the goal is to get rid of illegal parlors without making it more difficult for legitimate massage therapy businesses from opening and operating in Aurora.

The ordinance would require more record-keeping, a more thorough investigation of the business to make sure there isn’t a history of prostitution or human trafficking and other requirements such as a list of unlawful business practices, including possession of sex toys, suspect operation hours and failing to report instances of sexual assault.

While city officials say that from the outside these illicit businesses might not always be obvious, Vaughn said there are some clear indicators the business may be engaging in human trafficking or prostitution: beds in the business, racks of clothing, fully-stocked kitchens and luggage.

Another sign may be how the business advertises itself. Hughes said in the policy meeting that legitimate businesses tend to market their services rather than their employees. Some of the examples of ads Vaughn included in his presentation from local businesses pictured women, some of which were described in the ad as young and attractive.

Targeting the businesses through regulation rather than law enforcement protects victims of the crime and is likely a better use of city resources, Vaughn said. A new licensing system for the businesses may take a little more work in the beginning, but he’s sure his department is prepared to handle it.

While the plan may be successful for Aurora, it could push illegal massage parlors to other communities where licenses aren’t required.

“We definitely kick them from one community to another until we can get the massage therapist license revoked,” Vaughn said. “We denied a business license to an establishment and they went and opened up elsewhere and ended up raided by law enforcement.”

Vaughn added that Aurora licensing officials communicate with other municipalities about parlors that may try to set up shop elsewhere. But even more so, the ordinance could be a blueprint for other municipalities.

“I think other jurisdictions will follow,” Lawson said. “When you actually see it or hear it, you realize it’s a reality going on in our city.”