Yet the Richmond Avenue enterprise is open for business - one of at least massage parlors that have operated illegally in the city of Houston, according to court documents, data and public reports. A Houston Chronicle analysis found establishments have been cited by police for compliance violations, including operating without a state license, hiring unlicensed workers, operating during prohibited hours or engaging in vice crimes.
Another advertise their services but don't appear in state licensing records. Many are suspected of serving as fronts for prostitution, authorities across the county say. They are not safe for the families, for our children," said Karen Kristopher , the director of Houston Area Association for Decency. Among those with the most violations is the business at Richmond.
Last year, the Houston city attorney issued an injunction against the property owner, who, in turn, evicted the King Spa previously known as VIP Spa. The city of Houston provided the Chronicle with a list of 30 massage parlors, spas and modeling studios that have been closed down over the past two years, mostly for posing a "public nuisance. The newly named Du Soleil advertised a grand opening on Oct.
Regulating massage parlors is a dubious task. They often change names and ownership, if they register with authorities at all. The job of licensing and inspecting them falls to Texas Department of State Health Services , but the state relies heavily on local police to enforce the regulations. There is just one full-time state investigator assigned to routine inspections of licensed businesses. Five investigators, shared with other state programs, review and investigate complaints against licensees.
But department spokeswoman Christine Mann said the massage licensing program could be eliminated as part of a series of proposed budget cuts, though any decision to do so would be made by the Texas Legislature. More than establishments have been cited by the police for prostitution since ; 70 of them have been raided three or more times, records show. Many, if not most, are still operating. On North Beltway 8, for example, the Golden Beach Spa - known now as the Essence Spa - has been targeted seven times and seen the arrests of 15 women ranging in age from 20 to It has had at least three owners, according to Harris County records.
