San Diego, CA
San Diego massage parlour shuts down after prostitution probe, locals say ‘sex noises’ disrupted church services
Four people were arrested following an investigation into alleged “illicit sexual activities” at Ocean Spa Massage Parlour in Kearny Mesa, San Diego authorities said.
After receiving multiple complaints from nearby businesses and locals about the Ocean Spa Massage Parlour, police said they launched an investigation into the matter. Police received complaints about everything from “sexual noises” disrupting a church service to people seeing individuals engaging in sexual activity in cars. CBS8 reported that a youth Bible study group was previously situated next to the parlour.
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Police investigate Ocean Spa Massage Parlour
Last year, police spent over 125 hours probing the massage parlour, which led to instances where undercover officers were offered sex at least four times. Police also discovered around 1,270 online advertisements for sex at the parlour.
While the city pursued legal action to shut down the parlour, police held four people for prostitution.
The City Attorney’s Office is imposing more than $100,000 in civil penalties as well as reimbursement for legal fees and costs associated with law enforcement.
“The owners of Ocean Spa have been masquerading as a legitimate business for far too long,” City Attorney Mara Elliott stated in the press release. “Ocean Spa is a sex shop – not a massage parlour – and it has no place in our community or anywhere else. We look forward to holding these perpetrators accountable and to restoring peace in this complex.”
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Although prostitution and massage parlours promoting sex have “always been pretty common,” a local San Diego business owner who talked to Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity said that SB 357 emboldened pimps and prostitutes. The proprietor of the business is roughly 20 minutes away from the massage parlour, where sex workers in skimpy attire blatantly stroll the streets in search of men.
“It’s always been pretty common with massage parlours to offer more than massages,” said the business owner, “but with [SB] 357 the whole industry is emboldened because they know nothing will happen.”
Prostitution surges in San Diego
Prostitution has long been a problem in San Diego and the surrounding areas, but some residents claim the situation has gotten worse when a rule was repealed in 2022 that made it illegal to loiter with the intention of engaging in prostitution.
“While I agree with the author’s intent, and I am signing this legislation, we must be cautious about its implementation,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said when he signed the law.
“My administration will monitor crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and will act to mitigate any such impacts.”
Numerous reports of prostitutes walking the streets in skimpy attire during the day have been reported in other parts of California. For example, in Oakland last year, pimps were allegedly stationing prostitutes outside a Catholic elementary school. In the Mission District of San Francisco, a road was lined with pimps and prostitutes during the winter.