Co. Springs looks to Aurora in fight against illegal massage parlors - KRDO

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Co Springs looks to Aurora in fight against illegal massage parlors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Our exposé shining a light on illegal sex acts inside more than 30 Colorado Springs massage parlors prompted a common question from many of our viewers: What is the city going to do about it?

There are as many as 36 illicit massage parlors that are currently open in Colorado Springs, according to our research. Meanwhile, the city of Aurora shut down 19 illicit Asian spas in the course of a year.

What made Aurora so successful? They passed ordinances specifically aimed at shutting these operations down.

"It got so bad, we had to take action," said Aurora City Councilman Charlie Richardson. "This is the most dramatic impact that I have ever seen in my 30 years with the city."

Richardson and his colleagues passed ordinances in 2018 that tighten regulations on massage parlors. The ordinances prohibit things like people living inside the business, odd hours of operation, lingerie attire, and online sexual advertising.

But one of Aurora's ordinances solves a big problem that faces Colorado Springs police in the battle against these spas.

"We'll shut down a spa, either through an arrest or court injunction, and they just open up as another name, under a new owner, or they swap spas," said Lt. Mark Comte with CSPD's Vice unit.

One example is AppleTree, Ocean, Eve Spa. The parlor off Bismark Road first opened as Apple Tree Spa before a police bust. Then the spa reopened as Ocean Spa -- but it got busted again and reopened as Eve Spa.

(GALLERY: Who owns massage parlors in Colorado Springs linked to sex acts)

Trevor Vaughn, who works with Aurora's Tax & Licensing Department, says those patterns can be stopped.

"In our ordinance, when we shut down an illicit massage business, it has to be something else for 24 months before it can be a massage business again," Vaughn said. "Make sure that operation changes over."

That means when a spa is shut down in Aurora, another massage business can't open at that location for two years. The goal is to force the illicit business owners out of the city and out of the county.

Richardson said, "If a city does not adopt an ordinance like this, it's negligence, it's malpractice."

We brought the ordinance to Colorado Springs city councilmembers and showed our findings in the city.

"We love to look at best practices to learn from other communities, especially within the state, so very happy to look at that," said Councilwoman Jill Gaebler.

But it's one thing to "look" at regulations, and another to actually enact them. We've sent copies of Aurora's ordinance to Mayor John Suthers, his staff, and each city council member and county commissioner to ask them directly what we can do to address the prevalence of Asian spas masking the sex trade in Colorado Springs.

You can contact your local representatives using this list:

Colorado Springs City Council:

Councilmember Don Knight, District 1
Phone: (719) 385-5487
E-mail: Dknight@springsgov.com

Councilmember David Geislinger, District 2
Phone: (719) 385-5493
Email: dgeislinger@springsgov.com

Councilmember Richard Skorman, District 3 (Council President)
Phone: (719) 385-5470
Email: rskorman@springsgov.com

Councilmember Yolanda Avila, District 4
Phone: (719) 385-5492
E-mail: yavila@springsgov.com

Councilmember Jill Gaebler, District. 5
Phone: (719) 385-5483
E-mail: Jgaebler@springsgov.com

Councilmember Andres Pico, District 6
Phone: (719) 385-5491
E-mail: Apico@springsgov.com
Twitter: @Pico4Council

Councilmember Bill Murray, At-Large Representative
Phone: (719) 385-5485
E-mail: bmurray@springsgov.com(link sends e-mail)
Facebook: Bill Murray, Colorado Springs At-Large Council Member

Councilmember and President Pro-tem, Tom Strand
Phone: (719) 385-5486
E-mail: tstrand@springsgov.com

Councilmember Wayne Williams, At-Large Representative
Phone: (719) 385-7720
Email: Wayne.williams@coloradosprings.gov

El Paso County Commissioners:

Holly Williams - District 1
Phone: (719) 520-6411
Email: HollyWilliams@elpasoco.com
Mark Waller - District 2
Phone: (719) 520-6412
Email: MarkWaller@ElPasoCo.com

Stan VanderWerf - District 3
Phone: (719) 520-6413
Email: stanvanderwerf@elpasoco.com
Longinos Gonzalez - District 4
Phone: (719) 520-6414
Email: LonginosGonzalezJr@elpasoco.com

Cami Bremer - District 5
Phone: (719) 520-6415
Email: CamiBremer@elpasoco.com


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