Massage parlors busted for prostitution, victims resources limited to escape life of crime - KFDM-TV News

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Beaumont -- Law enforcement officers claim they're making a big difference in cracking down on illegal massage parlors across southeast Texas.

In 2024, investigators made arrests at over a dozen businesses where employees were suspected of engaging in prostitution. The posters are alluring and the signs are large.

They might look like they're legit on first glance but inside some of these businesses, there is something more sinister.

"Human trafficking is something that happens," Haley Morrow of Beaumont Police said. "It's a serious problem."

Given many of our cities sit right along the I-10 corridor, police think our home is an attractive place for the crime.

Over the last year, we reported on many of the massage parlor raids. At least 14 locations in southeast Texas resulted in arrests, the most recent one happening at BL Massage in Beaumont.

These raids however might not solve the crime, but push the illegal business to another city nearby.

Morrow explained there isn't much stopping the human traffickers from doing that. "It's just part of the cat and mouse game, it's not any different than narcotics trafficking or any other kind of illegal activity," Morrow said.

But advocates may consider the people selling sex to be victims rather than criminals.

"A lot of the time they're just trying to pay their light bill," Hannah Padia with Embracing Freedom, a group who helps human trafficking victims said.

Padia helps manage one of the few resources in our area who helps these victims, she explained to Fox 4 how her group helps not only children but adults get the help they need.

"What we do is give them a recovery backpack, it has all their essential needs in it," Padia said. "Sometimes they just want to get out of the clothes they're wearing. We care about the individual and we want them to get the resources and help they need."

She went on to lament that there is a lack of a robust web of resources in our neighboring counties saying many victims have to seek the aid they need from locations in Houston. While Padia's group is doing what they can, she argues they are limited in how much they can

provide to adult victims and from her perspective, the situation is getting worse.

"It is very difficult to find long-term placement and a safe place for victims of trafficking," Padia said. "Our numbers are doubling every year. You can sell a girl 15 times a night and the profit margin are just way up unfortunately."

Morrow gave us a simple message to dig up the root of the problem.

"The bottom line is without the demand this crime doesn't happen," she said.

Texas lawmakers have taken action to address the issue by giving the department of Licensing and Regulation the ability to issue an emergency order allowing the agency to shut down a massage parlor if law enforcement suspects human trafficking is taking place.

This is where they want your help in rooting out these criminal businesses. If you think a massage parlor or any business is engaging in illegal practices call Crimestoppers at 833-TIPS. Your complaints can end up saving someone's life.