A 51-year-old woman, an employee of Star Massage at 4996 Palm Coast Parkway, was arrested Tuesday at the business on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting prostitution, following a sting operation conducted by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office had been getting “multiple reports of alleged prostitution at the business,” according to a sheriff’s report. So detectives set up the operation, using a corporal in the agency as an undercover posing as a client.
The undercover was greeted by the employee who would later be arrested. He paid $50 for a half-hour massage. The undercover and the masseuse went back to Room 2, where the woman seemed quite aggressive from the beginning. The corporal had disrobed and wrapped a towel around himself. But the woman “blatantly” removed the towel, according to the report.
The massage began. It didn’t last very long before the woman was thrusting her pelvic area suggestively into the corporal’s face, then, seemingly experienced and strong, “flipped” him, pointed at his penis, and matter-of-factly asked: “You want?” She then made the Esperanto gesture known the world over to mean masturbation, at least for males, if not exclusively by males.
“How much?” the corporal asked.
“Shh Shh,” the employee replied.
Negotiations began. The corporal grabbed his wallet and handed the woman $60. She was not happy. He gave her another $20. She was still not happy. He gave her yet another $20. “More,” she said. The cop said it was too much. “No no no,” she told him, it’ll be “worth it.” So she took the bills. She had “whispered in a low tone to keep the conversation quiet,” according to the report.
The undercover is then said to have used the restroom as a stalling tactic. His team had been monitoring the situation from nearby. It entered the business and arrested the woman, the only person at the business who was arrested, though all those within were “secured” at the time of the sting.
p
The woman was interviewed by a sheriff’s detective and Department of Homeland Security agents, along with a translator (the woman is Asian, her address at her jail booking listed as being not far from Shea Stadium in Queens, N.Y.). She answered basic questions, but when asked about the encounter with her last client, she declined to answer.
The Sheriff’s Office has from time to time conducted stings targeting randier individuals, or those servicing them, its last dating back to November, when five women, all of them from out of town, were arrested on misdemeanor charges of soliciting. One of them was charged with cocaine possession in addition to the misdemeanor sex charge. Her case continues in court. Another, sentenced just a few weeks ago, had to pay $323 in fines and court costs but adjudication was withheld. Another failed to appear for a recent hearing. Two others pleaded: one to disorderly conduct, the other to prostitution, both were sentenced to 20 hours of community service and six months’ probation, plus $373 in fines and costs (it was her third offense for prostitution). One of them recently violated probation, so that case carries on.
The Star Massage employee arrested Tuesday was released on $500 bond.
Joe Stolfi says
Legalize Sex Work as a legitimate business ..
Sex work / prostitution — CONSENTING ADULTS ..
Why is it that I can wine & dine her, then take her to bed & it’s ok
but If I skip the wine & dine, give her that money, then take her to bed
it’s illegal, and we’re both subjected to being arrested ?
I do not understand the hypocrisy ..
Come on! says
If she gets a good atty this will be another loss for the Sheriff’s Office guaranteed!
Mark says
Legalize prostitution! What the heck are we waiting for already! Make it safe for both parties involved. Our community would be much better off.
Concerned Citizen says
Coming from someone who worked in Law Enforcement as well.
Legalize it, Regulate it and Tax it. End of problem.
Prostitution has been around for a long time and isn’t going anywhere. What does happen though is many of these “Asian Massesuses” are victims of human traffickers. They come from already deplorable conditions after a promise of a better life. They are typically coerced into these situations. And will even have their passports taken by their pimp so they can’t leave.
Sad that so many resources were allocated towards a ruby dub scheme. When you should be going after the bigger fish involved.
Peter Vanderstab says
Did the Sheriff’s office close down the establishment the article doesn’t say ?
Judging by the charges and the sentences given out the court it seems to me that this activity rates right up there with “failure to appear” for a traffic violation.
If society these days are so bent on “legalizing” Vice related crimes like drug use why wasn’t prostitution placed on that list ? The same train of thought can be applied TAX , REGULATE AND CONTROL IT.
WE AS A NATION MUST STOP CRIMINALIZING MORALITY.
JustSaying says
The Netherlands has a safe, thriving industry, well regulated, taxed, and super healthcare benefits. For the most part, their “staff” are there voluntarily, not victims of trafficking. Oldest business in history. Florida has MUCH bigger problems to deal with! How about we worry a little more about kids running around shooting each other?
jim lang says
What a shocker, must of been a slow day for our sheriff department.
Tim says
Have sex on camera for pay= legal
Give a handy in private for pay= illegal
That almost makes as much sense as enforcing seatbelt laws while repealing the helmet laws. Our judicial system is a joke!
Richard says
Looks like all men chiming in. The sex industry, for women, would only work to their and their families benefit through organized labor. That might not be possible in a right (misnomer) to work state.
Trailer Bob says
You nailed it Tim. I am not even sure if it IS illegal to pay someone after having consensual sex. Sort of like a tip?
I cannot even imagine how much it has cost me over the last 33 years to have sexual activities with MY wife…lol.
It would be very difficult to justify arresting people for consensual sexual activities if it made it to the supreme court and had a fair and logical hearing. Two adults should be able to make this decision without police officers involved.
The Geode says
We have unsolved murders, rampant drug dealing, and random gunshots in this “one horse County” and our cops are busy jerking around (pun intended) with massage parlors…
CHARLES D FARLEY says
man I missed out that’s right around the corner from my house been saying for years they should make it legal
Daotien says
Actually, recent studies have shown at least 80% of those working at massage parlors that offer “happy endings” etc do so willingly to make ends meet and are not part of human trafficking. Not that human trafficking isn’t a problem, but when it comes to these massage parlors that’s just not the case.
Ernie says
A sting operation for that petty stuff? All that manpower? Why? Two consenting adults; what did they do so wrong?