A woman was arrested on charges of promoting prostitution at a Renton massage parlor on Wednesday, according to the Renton Police Department.
At about 8:15 a.m. on June 15, Renton police, with assistance from the Valley SWAT Team, served a search warrant at the Q Spa at 4508 Northeast Fourth Street.
According to police, the investigation began when the victim called 911 after she accepted what she thought was a legitimate offer of employment from the massage parlor.
The victim told police that when she went to the parlor, she was held against her will and was told to perform sexual services for clients.
She also said she was sexually assaulted at the parlor.
Police said the victim found an opportunity to flee the parlor and call 911.
A 39-year-old woman was arrested on charges of attempting to promote prostitution and unlawful imprisonment.
KIRO 7′s Jake Chapman spoke with Tim McClincy, who owns McClincy’s Home Decorating next door, and he said one of his employees saw the SWAT team enter the property. He said having such crime in the area isn’t acceptable.
“Some of my tenants and they have young children and such. And the reality of it is safety is a primary concern of mine. Especially the children … (starts to tear up). That’s the hardest part,” McClincy said.
Mar Brettmann with Business Ending Slavery and Trafficking, or BEST, hopes the victim will receive help and recover from the situation. She said this is not an uncommon issue in the state of Washington.
“And they often have started working in the massage industry with the understanding they would be providing massages and not the understanding that they would actually have to engage in sex acts against their will,” Brettmann said.
McClincy hopes to see changes in his hometown soon after an incident like this.
“It’s a beautiful city. It needs some … let’s just say it needs some enforcement,” McClincy said.
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