Paseo Colón administrator held on pimping charge
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial police detained a 42-year-old man Thursday and said he was engaged in pimping at the massage parlor he operated in Paseo Colón.
The Judicial Investigating Organization made the unsurprising announcement that the massage parlor was really a front for prostitution services. The operation collected from 14,000 to 18,000 colons (from $27.80 to $35.75) for an hour session, the agency said. The women, who averaged about five customers a day, got half the payment, agents said.
Five women, three Nicaraguans and two Costa Ricans worked at the establishment, but they were not detained. They ranged in age from 22 to 30, the Judicial Investigating Organization said.
While prostitution is legal in Costa Rica, pimping is not. Nevertheless, some prostitutes are attracted to massage parlor operations because of the security and the regular working hours.
Law officers usually make one or two such arrests before major religious holidays, while other better known establishments operate unhampered.