This article is part one of a five-part series titled "The Business of Illicit Massage. HADLEY — Prosecutors painted a squalid picture of what went on inside the little house on busy Russell Street: The Asian women were kept there night and day, providing sexual services for a fee, sleeping where they worked, and rarely venturing outside except to take out the trash.
The customers themselves led law enforcement to the address in , by writing detailed reviews of the services they received at Hadley Massage Therapy — services that went far beyond massage. On a controversial website called Rubmaps. The now-closed Hadley Massage Therapy is one of hundreds of erotic massage centers described on Rubmaps. But, even though law enforcement officials can easily find other suspected sex trafficking operations on Rubmaps.
Shutting them down is not as simple as rounding up the men and women in the massage parlor. Healey said her office will continue to go after the massage businesses described on the review boards. But even when law enforcement moves against erotic massage parlors, conviction of alleged traffickers is no slam dunk. The women, many of them fearful of deportation and unable to speak English, often make reluctant and poor witnesses. After being questioned, they often leave the state.
Donna Gavin, head of the human trafficking unit for the Boston Police Department, said police scrutinize review boards during investigations when they get tips about problematic addresses. But they have to be selective because investigations can be labor intensive, she said.
Indeed, the internet has been a boon for human trafficking generally, allowing sellers to easily and discreetly reach buyers without attracting attention. For example, cases of forced sex and forced labor reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline increased by He would have done it anyway, he said, but the Internet made it much easier. Launched in , Rubmaps. The site, registered to a Georgios Veniaminidis based in Cyprus, is careful to distance itself from illegal activities.
