Franklin City Council amends massage parlor rules after June raids - Daily Journal

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The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against Ying Liu, registered agent of Sun Health Spa, for promoting prostitution, corrupt business influence and money laundering. Daily Journal File Photo


Franklin officials are amending rules for massage parlors after three spas were raided for “questionable business practices” earlier this year.

Months after the June raids, city attorney Lynn Gray presented an amended massage parlor ordinance for the Franklin City Council to consider. The council unanimously approved the amended ordinance in a 7-0 vote Monday, and it will require people wanting to open a spa to get a permit from the Franklin Police Department, among other changes.

Previously, interested applicants went through the mayor’s office to get permits. Now, applicants will have to go through Franklin Police. This change will be an extra layer of security, Gray said.

“It does utilize some of our police department resources to do background checks and things of that nature to make sure that if there is a business operation, No. 1, we know about it. No. 2, it is in an area that is properly zoned. And No. 3, it complies with all requirements of state and local health department issues,” Gray said.

The amended ordinance also has a section on advertising, which states that no massage establishment can depict any portion of the human body that would “reasonably suggest” to patrons that anything other than massage services is for sale.

Other changes include more detail on what crimes or acts prevent a person from getting a permit. Those convicted of a felony or offense involving sexual misconduct with children or any obscenity, keeping/residing in a house of ill fame, solicitation of a lewd or unlawful act, prostitution or pandering cannot get a permit.

The chief of police or a designee can make an exception if the conviction happened at least 10 years prior to the application date and no subsequent convictions have happened.

Also, no license can be issued without an inspection by the director of the county health department or an authorized representative, and the police department and/or county health department can inspect the massage establishment to determine compliance at least twice a year.

As for the raids, the investigation is still ongoing following searches at the three businesses and the three homes where the alleged proprietors reside.

So far, Brownstown woman Ying Liu is facing charges related to running a spa that provided “erotic” and “happy ending” massages. She was the alleged proprietor of Sun Health Spa, 50 W. Jefferson St.