Massage parlors focus of Redding sting operation - Redding Record Searchlight

[massage]

By Jim Schultz, Redding Record Searchlight

Posted: Yesterday 7:06 p.m. 0

A sting operation targeting a trio of Redding massage parlors led Wednesday to three people being cited for allegedly engaging in prostitution, Redding police said Thursday.

Officers said illegal activity was found at all three massage parlors, including one directly across from Parsons Junior High School off Hartnell Avenue.

Multiple citations for both criminal and administrative violations of the Redding Municipal Code, which regulates massage parlors, were issued, police said.

Cited and released were Yan Liu, 48, of AAA Massage at 840 Hartnell Ave., Kim Buidang, 58, of Michelle Redding Spa at 2051 Hilltop Drive, No. A5, and Zongu Wang, 59, of Forever Body Massage at 1708 Placer St., police said.

Parent Stephanie Young was waiting in her SUV parked at Parsons school Thursday as she waited for her two children, who do not attend school there, to return from a cross-country track meet at nearby Rother Elementary School.

And she was shocked to notice the massage parlor across the street.

"Too close to a school," she said, admitting she did not initially notice it being there. "It's kind of weird. But I know Shasta County has a high, weird population."

Employees of a nearby business declined to discuss the sting operation, as did office staff at Parsons school, who directed questions to district officials.

Meanwhile, employees and business owners near Michelle Redding Spa, who declined to give their names said the spa keeps a low profile, noting it does not have any outdoor signage to identify it.

But, they said, business there appears to be good.

"She (the owner) has a pretty good clientele," one of the nearby business owners said. "People are going in and out" at all hours.

But, another business employee said she has not had any problems with the spa or its customers.

She also said she wasn't scared — nor all that surprised — Wednesday to see numerous officers conducting the bust operation.

"We were entertained," she said.

Deputies with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, agents with California Alcoholic Beverage Control and the city of Redding Code Enforcement team assisted with the sting, police said.

Common violations discovered during the operation were prophylactics kept on-site, nudity on the behalf of the masseuse and attempted acts of prostitution, police said, adding that additional massage parlor operations are planned.

Matt Moseley, a founder of the Northern California Anti-Trafficking Coalition, said Thursday he was happy the sting operation occurred.

"I'm glad to see the process started," he said. "There are a lot more to be busted."

It was Moseley who in January approached the Redding City Council with an ordinance he was hopeful the city could use as a model to crack down on illicit massage parlors and sex trafficking rings.

The City Council adopted in June an ordinance that requires massage therapists to be fully clothed, go through background checks and operate regular business hours.

The ordinance, which went into effect last month, also regulates the operating hours of massage parlors and prohibits alcohol or controlled substances on site.

About Jim Schultz


Jim Schultz has been a Record Searchlight reporter since 1994, now covering Shasta County’s courts. Previously, Schultz worked as a reporter for the Oxnard Press-Courier and the Tahoe Daily Tribune. He began his journalism career in the 1970s as a reporter for the Mount Shasta Herald, and also served as the editor of the Weed Press.

About Amber Sandhu


Reporter Amber Sandhu brought her experience working in health care as a nurse to the Record Searchlight in the summer of 2015. Her reporting covers health care and breaking news but you’ll also find her out in the community covering a wide range of events and local happenings.


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