An organized crime group has been operating massage parlors in the North State where women are expected to perform sex acts "from the time they wake up until the time they go to sleep," Anderson police announced Tuesday. Anderson Police Chief Michael Johnson said the women are indentured servants or "sex slaves" who were tricked to moving to the North State by two Chinese nationals, a man and a woman, living in Chico who have since been arrested.
The suspects are being held at the Butte County Jail and await extradition to Shasta County, where they will be prosecuted. The Shasta County District Attorney's Office filed 58 felony charges against both suspects, including accusations of money laundering, according to DA Stephanie Bridgett. Police identified the suspects as a year-old woman, Junhua Wu, and a year-old man, Rui Wang, "who are believed to be the head of this criminal enterprise," according to a press release.
The investigation began with a tip about Relax Massage in Anderson. Authorities have now identified at least eight massage parlors as part of the investigation, including three in Redding, two in Chico, one in Oroville and one in Red Bluff. Anderson police said they've identified at least six potential victims, Chinese women ranging from their 20s to 50s or 60s in age, according to a detective.
They're promised freedom. They're promised a future," detective Jacob Duncan said. Watch the press conference where the news was announced here:. Duncan said the women usually don't speak English very well and usually don't have money, transportation or local family or friends. Duncan said the women were living out of the massage parlors.
Duncan said the investigation took a year because the suspects are "very sophisticated criminals" who are familiar with how authorities conduct criminal investigations. Several government agencies worked on the case, including the California Franchise Tax Board.
