A massage parlor was closed and its manager charged over prostitution allegations in Methuen, Massachusetts, as the mayor declared war on human trafficking.
Beauty Garden Spa on Wallace Street was closed after a police search on Sept. 4, and on Friday, manager Suping Zhu, a 38-year-old from Flushing, New York, was arrested on charges of deriving support from prostitution, keeping a house of ill fame and trafficking a person for sexual servitude, Methuen police said Sunday.
Officers found living space for two women in the basement, according to police, who said more charges are possible. It wasn’t immediately clear if Zhu, who is due in Lawrence District Court Monday, had an attorney who could speak to the charges.
“From a policy standpoint, I am declaring war on human trafficking in the City of Methuen,” said Mayor D.J. Beauregard in a statement, promising to shut any local business “that profits from this evil, and hold landlords accountable if they harbor them.”
Police Chief Scott McNamara said the Beauty Garden Spa “operation marks the first blow in our aggressive campaign to eradicate human trafficking and sexual servitude in Methuen,” promising to go after both other businesses as well as “johns” who frequent the businesses.
“Human trafficking and sexual servitude are not victimless crimes. They exploit the vulnerable, destroy lives, and poison our community. We will relentlessly pursue every perpetrator to ensure they face justice. This is only the beginning, and the Methuen Police Department, backed by our community and law enforcement partners, will not rest until these crimes are eradicated from our city,” McNamara said.