Prosecutors said two women were arrested in a raid of three alleged brothels operating as massage parlors. The connection between prostitution, massage parlors and sex trafficking recently made national headlines when billionaire NFL mogul Robert Kraft was picked up in a similar sex scandal in Florida last month.
But, less than 24 hours after the three massage parlors were raided all three businesses had their open sign lit up and front doors wide open. When KHON went in to inquire, they turned off the open signs shortly after. He said it was a bit of a surprise seeing the doors open this morning. This particular building has been well known to house prostitution or brothels for several years.
You need to go after the johns and people who pay others for sex. You need to go after the traffickers themselves. Jacoba-Carolus said the problem is so widespread in Hawaii and there is so much money generated that there is a strong link to organized crime. Other havens for sex trafficking in Hawaii are strip clubs, hostess bars and game rooms according Jacoba-Carolus.
Freitas said he speaks to the women who work in the brothels next to his apartment all the time. He described them as low-key. Freitas added that people are going in and out of the massage parlors are all hours of the night and day. They tend to skew more foreign born, which raises a lot of questions about their vulnerability. Case workers from the Susannah Wesley Community Center were at the raid ready to assist the 12 women working in the spas when they were raided in case any of them were victims of sex trafficking.
It's a day normally celebrated with a lei draping ceremony and a floral parade. But those events were canceled due to the pandemic. There are questions over how it will be used as concerns are raised over privacy issues. Department of Transportation spokesperson Tim Sakahara said the technology they plan to use "isn't really facial recognition technology like some people might think of it. Skip to content Live Now Live Now. Two women were taken into custody for promotion of prostitution and related charges.
