An investigation is underway into alleged human trafficking at two southern Ohio massage parlors, one located in Chillicothe, the other in West Chester in Butler County.
According to a release from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday, The Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) was contacted by Chillicothe Police on June 23rd and separately by the West Chester Police on July 7th. The calls were in regard to tips each agency had received about an alleged illegal massage parlor.
Intelligence shared through BCI exposed connections between the two businesses, and search warrants were subsequently served at both establishments on December 7th.
The warrants were served at Lucky Asian Bodywork at 1532 N. Bridge St. in Chillicothe, and at Foot Reflexology at 7320 Kingsgate Way in West Chester.
Authorities identified a total of five suspected victims of human trafficking as a result of the warrants. Two alleged victims were found at the Chillicothe parlor with three found at the West Chester establishment.
“If you think human trafficking doesn’t happen where you live, you’re wrong,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “It happens everywhere across our state and across every demographic. It happens because of the demand, but won’t happen in Ohio without consequences – we’re watching.”
No additional details have been provided, but BCI’s investigation into the matter remains ongoing.