Strategy shift needed to combat illicit massage industry - Osceola News Gazette

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Tucked in among other obscure strip mall businesses throughout Osceola County, illicit massage businesses operate openly. Many advertise erotic services on sex websites and are reviewed on Yelp.

Exploiting and trafficking vulnerable women is at the core of the problem, with a never-ending supply of workers being moved into and around the country.

Experts agree that combating an industry with nearly as many locations as McDonald’s in all 50 states is no easy feat. Despite awareness and new policy tools, authorities often fall back on traditional undercover stings and prostitution arrests. But most survivor advocates believe such tactics punish potential victims, fail to shut down illicit businesses and let traffickers and clients walk free.

Last month, the Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office arrested four Asian women on prostitution charges during stings at local massage parlors. The women, aged 35–59, required Mandarin-speaking interpreters and were not local with one arriving just a week prior. Three were from known hotbeds of human trafficking in New York and California.

Sheriff Marcos Lopez said he initiated the first human trafficking unit at his office and is set to host a third conference focused on the problem later this month. He acknowledged the women may have been victims, noting advocates were on-site during the sting to offer assistance.

However, Lopez said none of the women accepted help or admitted to being trafficked. He said victims oftentimes fear speaking up because their families are being “held hostage or threatened by some type of mafia or mob” in their home countries.

“Do you think she’s going to say ‘I’m a victim of human trafficking’?” said Lopez. “Probably not. Why? Because we can’t guarantee their safety in China.”

Experts say fear of deportation, language barriers, crushing debt and cultural shame also often prevent women from cooperating with law enforcement.

“It’s complete dishonoring the family,” said Tomas Lares, founder of United Abolitionists, a nonprofit supporting trafficking survivors. “They say you might as well commit suicide rather than dishonor your family.”

Despite recognizing the women as possible victims, the Sheriff ’s Office still distributed their mugshots to media outlets across Central Florida as part of its monthlong “Operation Spring Purge” campaign. Their photos were shown along with people arrested for child sex offenses, violent crimes and “other potential threats to community safety.”

Advocates say such public shaming adds further trauma and deters others from seeking help. But Lopez defended the decision.

“If you’re claiming you’re not a victim, prostitution is illegal,” he said. “All we can do is uphold and enforce the law under Florida state statutes.

“There are people who enjoy committing prostitution acts. They do it to make money. And some people, it’s a culture. If you look at the Asian culture, some of them, it’s okay.”

Lares rejected that notion as “ludicrous,” saying the hundreds of women he’s worked with over decades have never wanted this life.

During the sting, sheriff’s agents reportedly undressed, and at least one was touched inappropriately before signaling for an arrest. Some law enforcement agencies have abandoned this approach, citing safety concerns and further exploiting women with little impact on the overall problem. But Lopez said the risks are minimal compared to other dangers deputies face.

“They’re willing to take these minor risks … to try to stop this billion-dollar industry,” he said.

Every expert interviewed for this series agreed that arresting female workers for prostitution is futile. All four businesses targeted by the Sheriff ’s Office appear to still be open. Four days after the sheriff ’s sting, an online ad for one of them on a sex services website announced “New Employees, New Boss.” Undercover stings rarely affect them, say experts, because they can quickly reopen under new names and continue operating due to an endless supply of new workers.

Operations unaffected
A representative for only one of the businesses could be reached for comment. A woman identifying herself as the manager of Bodyworks of Asia, speaking through a Mandarin interpreter, said the 53-yearold worker arrested at her business was an “independent contractor” and was dismissed immediately.

The manager indicated the business does not condone sexual activity and prominently posts signs warning “No Disorderly Conduct Allowed,” as well as requires workers to sign agreements that they will not engage in illegal behavior. But she said they “can’t control whether they’re doing something else.” She also said she was unaware of the ads on sex websites.

Chris Muller-Tabanera, chief strategy officer for The Network—an intelligence-driven counter-human trafficking organization—was not surprised the businesses remained open.

“[Undercover stings] are not actually helping the women,” he said. “Because we have the data, we can see the growth of these businesses nationally. It’s not eradicating the problem.”

He advocates for a strategy shift that targets the infrastructure enabling the industry to flourish.

“You have to understand this as a business model,” said Muller-Tabanera. “You have to look at how do we create risk … and ultimately an inoperable environment where they have no space to operate.”

Targeting fraudulent massage licensing is another way to disrupt them, according to advocates. The massage industry has implemented measures to thwart test fraud and provide education about shady schools and diploma mills.

“You have to dismantle the infrastructure,” said Muller-Tabanera. “These aren’t massage therapists. This is a supply chain. Shut down the location and you interrupt the entire network.”

Laws combating IMBs
Some Florida agencies are doing just that. Collier County Sheriff ’s Lt. Wade Williams, an IMB expert, said his agency helped draft House Bill 197, which took effect in 2024. It empowers police and health officials to inspect massage parlors, prohibit overnight stays and shut down businesses that fail to maintain customer or employee records.

“We wrote that law to give us leverage,” said Williams. “If you can’t produce employee files or customer logs, we have grounds to shut you down.”

Even just requiring customer logs could have an effect, according to one long-time IMB customer.

“I’m absolutely not going to give my name,” he said.

Lopez said the department is aware of the law but noted that enforcement is complicated.

“There’s a lot of paperwork involved,” he said. “You’ve got to go through the legal process.”

He added that lease cancellations have worked in the past and said he’s open to new ideas—but he drew a line.

“Other than letting someone walk for soliciting prostitution, that’s not going to happen here.”

Support services exist — after arrest
Attorneys for the women arrested either declined to comment or did not respond. The Orange-Osceola County State Attorney’s Office now offers a Prostitution Diversion Program, which comprises a free, Mandarin-language course on human trafficking along with connection to services. Charges may be dropped upon completion.

“We have been trying to bridge the gap of victim to defendant,” said Ryan Whitaker, the office’s Felony Deputy Bureau Chief, in a written statement.

While advocates acknowledge the program’s intent, they maintain that continuing to focus enforcement on the women themselves misses the mark. They say the target should be the clients and traffickers driving the exploitation. Plus, Muller-Tabanera said that requiring women to be arrested before getting help adds trauma and sends the wrong message.

“I would say [the program] is still missing the point…often the harm has already been done,” he said.

If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect trafficking activity, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text 233733.