According to court filings, an employee at an East El Paso massage parlor allegedly offered sexual services to undercover investigators for $60, prompting the establishment to close.
Oriental Massage Spa, located at 6301 Airport Road, was temporarily shut down by a state judge on Friday, May 30, following an investigation by the El Paso County Attorney’s Office and law enforcement that discovered “erotic services being offered at the spa, including sexual contact, along with the employment of unlicensed massage therapists,” El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez announced in a news release.
The defendants in the complaint are Oriental Massage Spa LLC, property owner Billy Wayne Fondren, and business owners Haifeng Xiao and Yanling Wang. There are no attorneys listed in court documents for the defendants.
Sanchez filed a lawsuit against the defendants on Thursday, May 28, demanding that a state judge provide a temporary restraining order until a court hearing to determine whether a temporary injunction will be imposed, prohibiting the business from reopening until the dispute is resolved.
Judge Francisco Dominguez of the 205th District Court issued the interim restraining order.
A temporary injunction hearing to determine the future of the business is set for 9 a.m. Thursday, June 12, in the 168th District Court at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso.
The El Paso County Attorney’s Office’s Nuisance Abatement Team, El Paso Police Department’s Vice Unit, Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division’s Human Trafficking Unit, and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation all worked together to investigate the massage parlor.
“Our Nuisance Abatement Team is dedicated to addressing community problems through civil litigation,” Sanchez said in a statement. “When businesses consistently violate state law and serve as hubs for unlawful activity, they jeopardize the safety and well-being of our communities.
“This case demonstrates how we can use civil remedies, like nuisance abatement lawsuits, to shut down operations that contribute to larger issues and improve the quality of life for the citizens of El Paso County.”
The employee reportedly proposes sexual contact to undercover officers.
According to the lawsuit petition, the inquiry into the massage parlor began on January 30, when a Nuisance Abatement Team investigator noticed the establishment operating at 6301 Airport Road in East El Paso. According to the petition, a study of county records indicated that the massage establishment license for the parlor expires in 2024.
Law enforcement conducted surveillance of the place between February 4 and May 16. Officers reported seeing largely men entering the establishment, with one female entering and “quickly exiting the business,” according to the petition.
On February 7, an undercover special agent from the Texas Department of Public Safety visited the massage business. The agent paid for a massage from a lady named “Mia,” according to an affidavit attached to the lawsuit. The woman allegedly provided sexual services to the undercover investigators for $60. The woman initially requested $100 to perform a sexual act, but later reduced the price to $60.