AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Attorney General's Office is suing a northwest Austin business for allegedly having prostitution taking place inside its premises.
Essence Massage is located on Pond Springs Road. The “nuisance abatement” lawsuit asks Williamson County to shut down the business.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the lawsuit was filed after an investigation by the Human Trafficking and Criminal Investigation Bureau found evidence of illegal sexual activity at the business.
According to the Attorney General's Office, there are an estimated 9,000 illegal massage businesses nationwide, and an estimated 1,000 in Texas. These businesses sell commercial sex under the guise of legitimate massage services, and many of the women employed there are victims of human trafficking.
The complaint says illegal massage businesses are often part of large organized crime networks.
“Human traffickers use a complex network of legal and illegal companies and shell companies to launder money, hide their identities, and evade law enforcement,” the report said. .
Victims often present themselves as business owners or managers, which can make it difficult for law enforcement to distinguish between victims and perpetrators, the complaint said. The trafficker also circulates the victim between companies and across state lines, sometimes every two to six weeks, further fostering their dependence on the trafficker.
“OAG's Human Trafficking Unit is committed to rooting out these illegal businesses and sending a message that they will not be tolerated in our communities,” a release from Paxton's office said Wednesday.
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