Liu
A Brownstown woman is facing multiple charges related to running a spa that provides “erotic” and “happy ending” massages.
Ying Liu, 47, the registered agent of Sun Health Spa, 50 W. Jefferson St., Franklin, faces three new charges stemming from an investigation into several local massage parlors.
The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges of promoting prostitution, corrupt business influence and money laundering, all as Level 5 Felonies, on Tuesday. She was initially charged with prostitution as a misdemeanor after a sweep of the business on June 6.
Two additional Franklin businesses that were raided are still under investigation. Those businesses are The Sunshine Golden Spa, 799 W. Jefferson St., Suite B, and Hong Kong Massage & Spa, 1178 N. Main St.
During the raid, seven locations inside and outside Franklin were searched, including the businesses and the homes of people associated with them. Greenwood, Bargersville, Indianapolis and Johnson County law enforcement aided Franklin officers in the raid, a press release said.
The Franklin Police Department had been investigating Liu’s spa and others in Franklin for about a year prior to the raid, according to the affidavit filed at the time, Liu and two other women were arrested.
The investigation began after the police received a tip that several local establishments were advertising “erotic and happy-ending massages” on the internet. Over the years, Franklin Police had received five previous complaints between 2018 to 2022 stemming from the parlors, court documents say.
The advertisements for the business included images described in the affidavit as “scantily-dressed young Asian women in seductive poses.” The ads used words such as “NEW sexy Asian petite girls.” While the ads didn’t explicitly state sex acts were on the menu at the parlor, they appeared on websites that are used solely for illegal acts, the affidavit says.
In addition, there was an online review posted by a purported customer in 2022 stating their masseuse tried to touch their genitals and had them take off their underwear, the affidavit says.
The detective conducted surveillance at the spa and noticed that only men patronized the establishment. They typically went inside one at a time and stayed for approximately 50-70 minutes, court documents say.
One customer interviewed by police denied receiving sexual services but he had the impression “he probably could have gotten ‘whatever’ for a little more money.”
Next, the detective went undercover with buy money to purchase a massage. Agreeing to pay for an hour-long massage, he entered a dark room and was asked to disrobe. While waiting in the dark, the detective used his flashlight to look around the room and saw a towel warmer, bottles of oil — both labeled and unlabeled — and a sign telling patrons to keep their underwear on, court documents say.
Based on her techniques, the masseuse did not seem to have formal massage training. She focused on areas a normal masseuse wouldn’t such as the buttocks and areas near the genitals. At the end of the massage, the detective asked if she would do more, and she smiled and pointed at his genitalia, the affidavit says.
The masseuse identified herself as Ye, however, the detective later found out it was Liu during the June 6 search of the business.
During the search of the business, police found around $6,000 in cash stashed around various places in the business and the attached living quarters. Police also searched Liu’s rural Brownstown home and found $97,055 in a locked gun safe, as well as bank statements for the business on her desk, court documents say.
A Plainfield spa connected to Sun Health Spa has also been the subject of police investigation, the affidavit says.
