Regulating massage parlors intent of proposed ordinance

Following arrests of four people accused of using a massage parlor as a front for prostitution an ordinance has been introduced to regulate massage parlors in Lawrence.

By: Lea Kahn
   In the wake of the arrests of four people accused of using a massage parlor as a front for prostitution in August, the Township Council has introduced an ordinance to regulate massage parlors in Lawrence.
   A public hearing on the ordinance, introduced Dec. 5, has been set for the council’s Dec. 19 meeting.
   Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun and Chief of Police Daniel Posluszny said Monday they are not aware of any massage parlors currently in business in the township.
   "The ordinance will help us be pro-active in preventing illegitimate establishments from opening up," Mr. Krawczun said.
   He added that the proposed ordinance was triggered by the incident regarding the former massage parlor, located on the corner of Brunswick Pike and Haveson Avenue.
   Cases against the four people accused of either promoting prostitution or engaging in prostitution are pending, said Chief Posluszny. A Dec. 20 date has been set in Lawrence Township Municipal Court for Jipaing He, who was charged with engaging in prostitution at the former Sunny Therapeutic Massage and Reflexology parlor, Chief Posluszny said.
   The cases of Ai Ling Cheng, Choe Ming Chen and Zhou Juan, who were charged with promoting prostitution, have been turned over to the Mercer County prosecutor’s office.
   Ai Ling Cheng and Zhou Juan have entered the Pre-Trial Intervention program, said Casey DiBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County prosecutor’s office. The intervention program is for first-time offenders who have not committed a violent crime, she said.
   The case against Choe Ming Chen will be presented to a Mercer County grand jury, Ms. DiBlasio said. A grand jury may recommend that a suspect should be indicted, and that person would appear in state Superior Court.
   "We closed the massage parlor (after the arrests) and they inquired about re-opening, but they never came back," Chief Posluszny said. "This is really an ordinance to try to stop illegal actions in a massage parlor. This ordinance will give us control."
   The proposed ordinance would not apply to massage or somatic therapy administered in the offices of a physician, an osteopath, a chiropractor or a physical therapist, all of whom are licensed by the state. Somatic therapy involves the manipulation of the body.
   The ordinance also exempts massages and somatic therapy given at a hospital that has a staff, which includes licensed physicians, osteopaths, chiropractors and physical therapists. Licensed health and athletic clubs also are exempt from the ordinance’s provisions.
   Applicants for a massage parlor license must be at least 18 years old and must be certified as a massage therapist by the Law and Public Safety Division of Consumer Affairs, New Jersey Board of Nursing Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Therapy Examining Committee, according to the proposed ordinance.
   An application form must be filled out that lists the applicant’s residence for the past three years, plus an employment history for the past 10 years. A doctor’s note that says the applicant has been free of contagious and communicable diseases for the past year also must be submitted.
   A notarized statement must be provided that states the applicant has not been convicted or pleaded no contest to any criminal offense or have violated laws that relate to indecency, obscenity or sexual offenses or similar offenses within the past five years. The Lawrence Township Police Department would be authorized to conduct a criminal background check.
   Massage parlors cannot open until the Lawrence Township Construction Code Enforcement Office has inspected the premises and issued a certificate of occupancy. The Lawrence Township Health Department may conduct random inspections, according to the ordinance.
   The fee for a massage or somatic therapist’s license is $100, and the fee for a business license is $750. Licenses would be issued in January for the calendar year, under the proposed ordinance.