The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has enacted emergency closures on two Austin massage parlors implicated in human trafficking and illegal sexual services, as CBS Austin reports. On Oct. 15, Rejuve Wellness LLC and Bibo Spa LLC received six-month closure notices due to serious allegations and evidence of illicit activities. According to the TDLR, this action follows a new law effective since September 2023, empowering the agency to swiftly address such suspected violations.
Investigators found that at Bibo Spa, employees were residing on-site, and a worker alleged being coerced into performing sexual acts on clients to settle debts to the owner, Tuyen Thi Nguyen. Bibo Spa, alongside Rejuve Wellness, which is managed by Dongming Lu, was accused of employing unlicensed massage therapists and promoting sexual services, backed by sexually explicit online ads. These emergency orders mark the twelfth and thirteenth instances of regulatory action since the aforementioned law came into effect.
On a similar front, KXAN details another investigation involving the Austin Police Department and a massage parlor located on U.S. Highway 290. One suspect has been apprehended, with court documents naming her as the one spearheading the operation. Victims claimed they were held inside the business around the clock and compelled to solicit sexual services from patrons, with the majority of the additional fees going to the operator.
A visible notice on the premise of RS Foot Massage, the establishment under investigation, signals the emergency action taken by TDLR. Despite having a clean record with no violations since its 2019 licensing, the establishment has now been shuttered. Tela Mange from the TDLR explained, "They are a licensed massage establishment with TDLR and a law that went into effect last September gives our executive director the authority to issue a 6-month emergency closure order if there is suspected human trafficking occurring," according to KXAN's report. Mange also underscored the importance of public vigilance in spotting signs of trafficking, such as living quarters at businesses, the presence of condoms, and unconventional massage oils.
Both closure cases underscore the gravity of human trafficking concerns in the area and the state's mobilization against such crimes. Officials are calling on the public to report any suspicions of human trafficking to the National Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text "HELP" to 233733, highlighting that community involvement is key in combating this pervasive issue.
