Trenton Bawdy House Charges

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

Ernst Kuglin and Emily Mountney report for the Trentonian, 10 Jan 2012:

 

http://www.trentonian.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3431321

 

Three women have been charged for conducting illicit sexual transactions at two massage parlours in Trenton.

 

Search warrants were executed Tuesday at the Silver Star Studio on Elgin Street and the Sunny Health Spa in Market Square.

 

Lihua Al and Meifong Zhou, both 50 years old, were charged with keeping a bawdy house.

 

Another woman, Song Qu, 43-years-old was charged with being "an inmate of a common body house."

 

Investigators received information in November of last year that the parlours were conducting illicit sexual transactions.

 

The warrants were executed by the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Provincial Organized Crime Enforcement Team, Quinte West OPP and the Metro Toronto Police Service.

 

Officers seized approximately $4500 in cash, computer equipment, electronics and other offence related property.

 

All women were released from custody and are schedule to appear in court on March 1.

 

The women we also charged for numerous by-law infractions.

 

The investigation in continuing and further charges are pending.

 

"We know the police have been keeping an aye on those parlours," said a city official who did not want to be identified.

 

Quinte West cracked down on the operation of massage parlours in 2007, passing a tough bylaw that didn't stop at stiff licence fees and fines.

 

If one of the parlours goes out of business, the city will not permit another to open. The bylaw stipulates the number of body rub parlours allowed to be licenced "shall be limited to two.''

 

Quinte West Mayor John Williams welcomed the news.

 

"Good, maybe they may not be allowed to open," said Williams.

 

At the time the bylaw was passed, then OPP detachment commander Earl Johns said the perception of the bylaw should be to protect the positive image of the city.

 

"These operations could be a front for other activities,'' he said.

 

Those activities, such as providing so called 'clients' with adult entertainment services will land operators fines, if caught, ranging from several hundred dollars to a maximum of $50,000.

 

Massage parlours in the city are subject to a licencing fee of $1,500. Operators are subject to a $250 licence fee, while body rub attendants have to purchase a $100 licence.

 

The bylaw was modeled on a bylaw used by the Town of Ajax.

 

A legal challenge was denied, and the Ajax bylaw was upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeals.

 

Massage parlours are subject to offences contained in the Criminal Code, such as operating a common bawdy house, or prostitution.

 

Courts have ruled those incidents as "victimless'' crimes. Fines or penalties levied do not, say city officials, act as an effective deterrent.

 

City CAO Gary Dyke, said may now be in a position to close the massage parlours, but only if there is a conviction.

 

Both parlours were issued with operating licenses shortly after the bylaw was passed in May 2007.

 

A third parlour operating at the time, Jasmine Spa, did not reopen its doors after the owners were notified it was to be inspected by QW bylaw officers.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

Ernst Kuglin reports for the Trentonian, 11 Jan 2012:

 

http://www.trentonian.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3432840

 

Quinte West has temporarily suspended the licences of two downtown massage parlours, pending further investigation.

 

City CAO Gary Dyke said Wednesday bylaw enforcement officers will be investigating to see if the Silver Star Studio on Elgin Street and the Sunny Health Spa in Market Square violated the conditions of a bylaw passed in 2007.

 

The body rub parlours were at the centre of an OPP raid Tuesday.

 

Investigators received information last November the parlours were allegedly conducting illicit sexual transaction.

 

Lihua Ai and Meifong Zhou, both 50 years old, were charged with keeping a bawdy house. Another woman, Song Qu, 34-years-old, was charged with being "an inmate of a common body house."

 

According to Quinte West documents, Ai is the licenced operator of the Silver Star Studio. The operator of the Sunny Health Spa is listed as Yi Xu.

 

The warrants were executed by the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Provincial Organized Crime Enforcement Team, Quinte West OPP and the Metro Toronto Police Service.

 

Officers seized approximately $4,500 in cash, computer equipment, electronics and other offence-related property.

 

All three women were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court on March 1.

 

City officials met with police Wednesday.

 

Further charges by the police are also pending.