Customers, others discuss raids on Asian massage parlors - Springfield News-Leader

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Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said it's believed women from China or east Asia were held against their will at these businesses as part of one large trafficking ring. Giacomo Bologna

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Angel Massage at 1774 1/2 S. Grant Ave. is one of more than a dozen Asian massage parlors in Greene County raided as part of a sex trafficking probe on Thursday.(Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)Buy Photo


The Thursday raids on more than a dozen Asian massage parlors with alleged connections to a sex trafficking ring were stunning news for some in Springfield. But not everyone was surprised.

Wendy Harder said she received a massage about a year ago at Golden Massage on South Campbell Avenue.

“It was the weirdest thing in the world," she said.

Harder said she is an athlete and was looking for a place that offered massages on a Sunday. She searched online for parlors that were open and decided on Golden Massage, she said.

"It was weird to begin with," Harder said.

When she called Golden Massage, Harder said the woman who answered didn't speak much English. The woman didn't ask for her name or any contact information, Harder said — she just told her a time.

The massage parlor was fairly empty, Harder said, and in the back were two rooms set up with temporary walls.


There were signs on the walls that said the masseuses did not perform sexual acts, Harder said. But according to lawsuit filed by authorities, Golden Massage and the other businesses raided by law enforcement all performed hand-on-genital sex acts to paying customers.

“Nobody spoke English. It was a lot of just gesturing,” Harder said of her visit last year. Harder said the woman there seemed nice, though, and she decided to give it a chance.

There was no communication during the massage, Harder said. At one point, the woman climbed atop the table and straddled her back while rubbing her shoulders.

Later in the massage, Harder said the woman ran her hand up Harder's leg “and brushed up against me in a very personal way."

Harder said she was also surprised by the woman's clothing — a low-cut top, a mini-skirt and high heels.

“The whole time I was thinking, 'Do I leave?'” Harder said.

Then, the massage was over, she said.

According to Harder, the woman said "OK" and walked out of the room.

Brandon Jenson had a much tamer story of a Springfield massage parlor.

He said he got a massage about a year or so ago at Sunshine Spa on South Glenstone Avenue, another one of the massage parlors targeted by authorities.

"It was pretty standard," Jenson said. "There really wasn't a weird aura or anything."

He set up the appointment a day or two before and went with a friend. Jenson said he's had massages before and that he would never have guessed this parlor would be involved in sex trafficking.

"That's why I was so surprised," Jenson said of hearing about the allegations.

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Six Springfield massage parlors cannot engage in prostitution-related activities for at least 10 days but can offer legal services under an order granted Friday morning by a Greene County judge. Nathan Papes/News-Leader


On South Grant Avenue, next to Angel Massage, is Gosia Patisserie. The owner, Malgorzata Szyszlo, said the Asian woman who worked at Angel Massage was very shy and did not speak English well.

Since Szyzylo opened her Polish bakery three months ago, she said she's seen the woman multiple times and that she was always nice and smiling.

Aubrey Gratton and Sara Preston also work at Gosia Patisserie and they said they began noticing the same cars parking at the massage parlor.

"It was just really sketchy," Preston said. "It seemed off."

Gratton said, "I never saw a woman go in there."


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