Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Makes Promotion of Prostitution Arrest

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- A several-month long collaborative investigation by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Division (VICE unit) along with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has resulted in the arrest of 2 female business owners, Yuanqiu Hu and Haiying Li, for Aggravated Promotion of Prostitution F-1. The massage parlor businesses, identified as AA Massage and U Massage, have both been shut down.

These investigations were initiated in response to rising concerns about human trafficking and illicit sexual services investigated by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Organized Crime Division Vice Unit. Montgomery County along with several area agencies have been investigating massage businesses suspected of violating state laws as well as conducting investigations into suspected illicit massage businesses. These investigations revealed a connection to the establishments offering sexual services. In addition, these locations did not have all of the required business documents from the State of Texas. Detectives also found other violations, such as employees were working without licenses, and sexual paraphernalia on site.

Massage parlors are frequently used by criminals but for other illegal activities. Investigations are ongoing to determine other crimes associated with the massage parlors and to verify if the workers identified as being employed in these establishments may be victims of sex trafficking through fraud, threats, or debt manipulation.