TUSTIN — The Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended a slew of rules aimed at making it tougher for massage businesses to serve as fronts for prostitution and human trafficking. The City Council is now expected to vote Oct. A number of spas and chiropractor offices in Tustin advertise massage services on adult-only websites with suggestive language and photos, city staff reported. And several have been cited in the past for prostitution and improper licensing.
In , a masseuse was arrested at the former OC Medical Spa after authorities said she offered to perform sexual acts on an undercover police officer. The next year, an Aquatic Oasis employee was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution. And in April, the city revoked a business license for Lodestone Chiropractic after reports of massages being offered independent of medical services.
The problems have gotten worse in the past seven years, city officials said. In the wake of complaints, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB in September to give local governments back some control and establish more training requirements for masseurs. Tustin then passed a moratorium that blocked any new massage parlors from opening or existing ones from expanding through October, to give staff time to draft the policies recommended for approval Tuesday night.
Under the new policies, massage parlor owners would have to provide a list of all employees and proof that each one is state certified. The businesses would be required to post notices about human trafficking.
And if any business is cited for misconduct, no permits will be granted at that location for at least 24 months. Thompson sees these new regulations as a step in the right direction. The real test, he said, will come over the next six months to a year, as officials monitor how the laws are impacting the number of massage establishments in Tustin and whether the businesses are operating legitimately.
