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In a quaint New England town once home to poet Robert Frost, residents grew alarmed when a new type of business began popping up — massage parlors that police suspected were selling sex. kAm%96 7:CDE 2AA62C65 :? 2 3FDJ C6E2:= DEC:A @77 x?E6CDE2E6 hb :? s6CCJ[ }6H w2>AD9:C6] %96 H:?5@HD 925 82C3286 328D 7@C 4FCE2:?D[ C642==D !@=:46 r2AE] '6C? %9@>2D]k^Am kAm!@=:46 3682? DFCG6:==2?46 2?5 ?@E:465 E92E >@DE=J @FE\@7\DE2E6 E28D H6C6 A2C2?J @7 H9:49 H6C6 7C@> ?62C3J q@DE@?] $@@?[ @E96C A2C=@CD @A6?65[ 2== 6>A=@J:?8 pD:2? >:8C2?ED] ~?6 25G6CE:D65 DF886DE:G6 A9@E@D 2?5 E96 AC@>:D6[ “%96 8:C=D H:== 8:G6 J@F 2 F?:BF6 766=:?8]”k^Am kAmr@>>F?:EJ =6256CD :? E9:D E@H? @7 2AAC@I:>2E6=J bc[___ H2?E65 E@ D9FE 5@H? E96 A2C=@CD] w@H6G6C[ E96J C62=:K65 @G6C E:>6 E92E AC@D64FE:?8 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 36=:6G65 E@ 36 A2CE @7 2? @C82?:K65 4C:>6 ?6EH@C< 6?828:?8 :? D6I EC277:42D D2:5]k^Am kAmpD E96 C646?E $62? Qs:55JQ r@>3D 42D6 D9@H65[ AC@G:?8 D6I EC277:4:?65]k^Am kAm“%9:D :D @C82?:K65 EC277:42E6 3FD:?6DD[” D2:5 s6CCJ !@=:46 r9:67 v6@C86 #] u6@=6] “(6’C6 4@>>:EE65 E@ :56?E:7J:?8 :E[ D9FEE:?8 :E 5@H? 2?5 AC@E64E:?8 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am Local, state and federal law enforcement officials converge in November 2023 on a home in Northwest Indiana belonging to a couple who are now accused of sex trafficking through illicit massage parlors in the region. Closing down such massage parlors can be a difficult task for police and community leaders throughout the country. Marc Chase, Lee Enterprises kAmxE’D 2 >2DD:G6 AC@3=6> 7@C 4@>>F?:E:6D ?2E:@?H:56] x==:4:E >2DD286 A2C=@CD @A6C2E6 :? >@DE 4:E:6D 2?5 E@H?D[ C682C5=6DD @7 D:K6[ 2?5 E96J 2C6 D@ F3:BF:E@FD E92E E96J ?@H @FE?F>36C |4s@?2=5’D C6DE2FC2?ED[ H:E9 C@F89=J `e[g__ =@42E:@?D :? 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A=246D E92E 2C6 4=62C=J @A6C2E:?8 @FED:56 E96 =2H]”k^Am kAmx? ~4E@36C a_ab[ E96 s6CCJ r:EJ r@F?4:= EC:65 E@ 7:== E96 82A 3J C6BF:C:?8 >2DD286 3FD:?6DD6D E@ @3E2:? 2 =@42= =:46?D6] %9:D ?6H @C5:?2?46 82G6 E96 4:EJ E96 ?2>6D @7 @C2= EFCA:EF56 4@?G:4E:@? H:E9:? E96 A2DE `_ J62CD]k^Am kAm(:E9 :ED ?6H A@H6CD[ E96 4:EJ F?=62D965 962=E9 :?DA64E@CD 2?5 3682? D4CFE:?:K:?8 E96 3FD:?6DD6D] xE 7@F?5 G:@=2E:@?D] $@>6 @7 E96 H@C6?ED @? D925J @G6CD62D H63D:E6D DF886DE65 E96 DA2D H6C6 D6==:?8 D6I]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts kAm%96 4:EJ :DDF65 462D6\2?5\56D:DE @C56CD E@ D:I A2C=@CD :? |2C49 a_ac[ 3FE E92E 5:5?’E =625 E@ E96 3FD:?6DD6D D9FEE:?8 5@H? C:89E 2H2J] %96 @H?6CD 2AA62=65 E96 564:D:@?D] $@>6 EC:65 E@ EC2?D76C @H?6CD9:A E@ @E96CD :?G@=G65 :? E96 3FD:?6DD] r:EJ =6256CD D2H E9:D 2D 2 DE2== E24E:4[ 2?5 :? pAC:= a_ac[ E96 4:EJ 4@F?4:= G@E65 E@ C6D4:?5 2== D:I =:46?D6D]k^Am kAmtG6? E96?[ E96 A2C=@CD 5:5?’E D9FE 5@H?] $@>6 @H?6CD ;FDE H6?E 29625 H:E9 3FD:?6DD 2D FDF2=]k^Am kAm$E:==[ E96 E@H? DF4466565 :? 4=@D:?8 2== D:I A2C=@CD DFDA64E65 @7 EC277:46E9@5n !6CDF25:?8 =2?5=@C5D E@ 6G:4E E96 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am A sign hangs in the window of a Northwest Indiana massage parlor where owners were accused of running an illicit sex trafficking business in November 2023. Marc Chase, Lee Enterprises k9amtG:4E:@? ?@E:46k^9am kAmxE’D 2? 2AAC@249 E92E %96 }6EH@CAD9:C6 2?5 v6@C8:2 92G6 366? E96 >@DE C6DA@?D:G6 E@ E96:C 42>A2:8?]k^Am kAm%96 EC:42DD286 A2C=@CD G@=F?E2C:=J] x2? w2DD6==[ 2 7@C>6C rxp :?E6==:86?46 @77:46C H9@ 7@F?565 %96 }6EH@C2 E92E E96:C E6?2?ED 2C6 6?828:?8 :? :==682= 24E:G:EJ]”k^Am kAm%96 }6EH@C2DD286 A2C=@CD[ H:E9 255C6DD6D 2?5 @E96C 56E2:=D[ 2?5 6G6? @776CD E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H9@ E96 =2?5=@C5D 2C6]k^Am kAmx? 4@>>F?:E:6D 5@:?8 E9:D[ E96 2G6C286 6G:4E:@? 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D9FEE:?8 DF49 3FD:?6DD6D 5@H? :D AF3=:4 2H2C6?6DD[ z6J92? D2:5]k^Am kAm“x E9:?< :7 A6@A=6 C62==J 2?5 492?86[Q z6J92? D2:5] “(6 42?’E 2CC6DE @FC H2J @FE @7 :E — 3FE H6 42? C67FD6 E@ =@@< 2H2J]”k^Am In this Series Parlors of abuse: Our nation’s sex trafficking gauntlet Jul 7, 2025 How we tackled the sex trafficking investigation Jul 7, 2025 Women are sex-trafficked in more storefronts than there are McDonald’s. But who’s watching? Oct 2, 2025 As sex trafficking victims face coercion, rape in illicit parlors, little is done for justice 9 updates Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.
