Chances are that you have walked or driven by an illicit massage parlor near where you live, tucked into the strip mall near the neighborhood school or playground, and scattered from the biggest cities in America to the tiniest rural communities. A search of the websites RubMaps and Skip the Games, where most of these brothels advertise women, found one located just two and a half miles from my home in suburban Virginia.
Their signs advertise foot spas, acupressure, and skin care, but prosecutors and activists say the businesses are fronts for human trafficking and money laundering where clients often pay anywhere from $60 to $100 or more for oral sex, “happy endings,” and full-service sex, known as “FS.” Many of the women who work there are sheng nu, or “leftover women” who are unmarried, divorced, or childless immigrants from China’s southern coastal provinces.
“It’s not random; it’s purposeful,” said Chris Muller-Tabanera, chief strategy officer of The Network, a nonprofit group that fights human trafficking. Using data from sex buyer review websites, The Network estimates that there are over 17,000 illicit massage businesses in the U.S., up from 15,500 less than a year ago. Those businesses bring in revenue of roughly $5 billion a year, all while hiding in plain sight.
