Massage parlors will remain closed after owners appear in court

JACKSON, Tenn. — The owners of the spas that were shut down last week appeared Tuesday morning in Madison County Chancery court. They are facing a nuisance petition alleging prostitution and lewdness happened inside their businesses.

According to the petition filed by the city, the alleged prostitution was discovered by undercover investigators. Their operation started in August of last year.

“We do have an lengthy investigation,” Jackson Police Department legal adviser Maj. Thom Corley said. “We have a lot of probable cause to believe those things were going on.”

Business owners of Diamond Massage, Kinja Spa and Beijing Massage along with their property owners all agreed to keep their businesses closed under the initial injunction until there is a formal hearing. That agreement was approved by the judge.

“Everything stays the same — the businesses are closed, they are not operational, they are padlocked. There’s no business going on at those three locations,” Corley said.

Four women already have been charged with impersonating a licensed massage therapist. Jackson police say that while more charges may follow, their focus is keeping the businesses closed.

“We’re concerned about human trafficking. It’s a large industry,” Corley said. “If that’s what’s going on here, we want to get a foothold on it and eliminate it.”

The three spas will remain closed under the court approved order. The formal hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19.