Measure aimed at cracking down on prostitution at massage parlors advances - Chicago Tribune

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Massage parlors operating illicitly would face bigger fines, and women arrested at such establishments could claim they were victims of human trafficking as a defense under a plan aldermen advanced Wednesday to try to crack down on prostitution.

Studies have shown there are around 24,500 women and girls engaged in some form of "commercial sexual exploitation" in Chicago each year, Laura Ng of the anti-human trafficking organization Traffick Free said after the License Committee passed the ordinance. While it's difficult to know how many of those are trapped at massage parlors, Ng called it a significant problem.

Southwest Side Ald. Matt O'Shea, 19th, sponsored the measure. He told colleagues Chicago is known as a "national hub" for human trafficking, owing in part to the ease of traveling here from outside the U.S., the city's large immigrant population and the robust convention business in the city.

Under the proposal, fines leveled against business owners for each violation of city licensing provisions would increase fivefold, to $5,000. And it would allow employees arrested for prostitution to avoid conviction if the crime was committed "under duress or was coerced" — a provision designed to protect victims of human trafficking.


The ordinance also would outlaw passageways from massage businesses to residences; disallow the hiring of massage therapists who don't have a current, valid license; and increase the minimum age for a person to work in any position inside a massage parlor by three years, to 18.

It also includes an easing of city regulations for massage parlors operating legitimately.

The measure comes in the wake of "Operation Hot Towel," a police and Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection crackdown on some troubled massage parlors.

Police made arrests for prostitution at six of the businesses. The business affairs department issued 178 tickets for myriad infractions, 11 cease-and-desist orders to unlicensed businesses and five notices to correct deficiencies during two waves of investigations in April and May.

The ordinance heads to the full City Council next week.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne


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