In April, Ames police arrested Genmu Cheng, owner of a spa in North Grand Mall, for inappropriately touching two women who came in for massages. A month later, they arrested two women — one for prostitution, the other for practicing without a license — at two other massage parlors after an undercover sting involving several state agencies.
Mark Watson said charges related to human trafficking were expected after the May sting. But none was filed. Widespread on both coasts, massage parlors have sprouted up across Iowa, triggering undercover stings, occasional arrests for prostitution, questions about zoning and licensing requirements, and concerns about human trafficking.
Some parlors appear to be legitimate businesses, law enforcement say. Like nail shops or bodegas, the parlors can be a pathway to financial stability for new immigrants, many from China.
Others discreetly offer sex for money, though those transactions can be hard to catch. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds said she was highly concerned about the possibility of human trafficking after the May sting. Ultimately, however, police found no evidence suggesting that's what took place. Xiao Zhang, the woman arrested for prostitution, was given a deferred judgment; Zemei Guo was fined for practicing without a license, she said.
George Belitsos, who chairs the nonprofit Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking, which includes a range of experts in human trafficking, said women often refuse to testify in suspected human trafficking cases. Markey said Iowa now has some of the best laws in the country to combat sex trafficking. Perceptions of the scope of the problem are changing among law enforcement.
