A beauty parlour offering sexual services to massage customers has been shut down and fined more than £3,000. Massage therapists were caught offering sex acts to men after carrying out treatments.
Undercover Trading Standards officers launched a sting operation by buying two massage therapies at Rain Therapy Centre at Skylines Village on the Isle of Dogs, east London. Both times, the female therapist offered the male officer sexual services following the massage, Tower Hamlets Council said.
Director Li Wa Hodgkinson, 54, of South Norwood, south east London, along with the registered company, Acu & Herbs Ltd, were both prosecuted for two offences by the authority. Hodgkinson was charged with two counts of breaking the terms of the licence for the premises by making sure it's not "used by prostitutes, for soliciting, or any other immoral purpose".
The company was charged with one similar count, along with another charge of using the premises for unlicensed services, including treatments "to any part of the body other than the neck and head or feet and legs below the knee or hands and arms".
At Thames Magistrates Court on July 26, Acu & Herbs Ltd and the sole director of the premises both pleaded guilty. Then at the same court the following month, the company was fined a total of £2,584 and the director was fined £440.
Following the sentencing, the company also surrendered its licence to operate massage therapies, the council said.
Cllr Kabir Hussain, cabinet member for environment and climate at Tower Hamlets Council, joked it will not be a "happy ending" for similar businesses also offering sex services.
He said: “This case sends out a clear message to any other business offering sexual services on the side that it will not be a happy ending for you. We have teams carrying out regular undercover inspections and we will always prosecute where we need to.”
Although Rain Therapy Centre no longer has a licence, Acu & Herbs Ltd is currently still registered as 'active' on the government's Company's House site.
