Now that the game is over, Patch remains committed to covering this international plague with our continuing focus on local efforts to combat the crime. Kraft purchased sexual services , are prevalent throughout Georgia.
The businesses have set up shop in storefronts in the business districts of several metro Atlanta suburbs, including Decatur, Smyrna, Chamblee, Tucker and Dunwoody. They advertise and are reviewed on websites catering to men looking to purchase sex.
Anonymous posters on those sites leave blunt descriptions of the sex acts available, as well as fees charged. The massage parlors often rely on Chinese women who have been trafficked illegally and who are often reluctant to cooperate with police, law enforcement investigators said. In some cases, court records show evidence that the women were forced or blackmailed into performing sexual services after being lured to the U.
They are often not allowed to leave the storefront where they work, and they turn over all the money they earn to the operators of the massage parlors. While exact figures as to how many illegal massage parlors are operating in Georgia are hard to come by, state lawmakers have been trying for more than a decade to outlaw the businesses. In and , legislators passed the Georgia Massage Therapy Practice Act, requiring massage therapists to be licensed by the state or hold a valid permit, be at least 18 years old, and be subjected to a background check, among other requirements.
In , an amendment was added to close that loophole. Local governments can also regulate other forms of commercial touch outside of the definition of massage or massage therapy. But in the case of the Florida investigation, police only got involved after a health department official noticed suitcases, clothing, hot plates and a store of food during an inspection.
