NJ probe says towns should target 'illicit massage parlors.' Here's Wayne's plan - Bergen Record

[Philip DeVencentis]

• The Wayne Township Council adopted an ordinance to increase fines for illicit massage parlors.
• Such establishments are rampant in New Jersey, according to results of an investigation released in the fall.

WAYNE — Massage businesses in the township face harsh penalties, including immediate suspension and steeper fines, under a new ordinance designed to protect public health.

An establishment can be shut down on the spot, according to the updated law, if a massage therapist is found to be working there without a license. It can also be forced to close if the Health Department determines that it is unsafe or unsanitary.

The massage industry is heavily regulated by the state, but there is a lack of consistent oversight among towns.

In October, the New Jersey State Commission on Investigation released a report on human trafficking and found that municipalities should craft their ordinances to “prohibit misconduct often associated with illicit massage businesses.”

Mayor Christopher Vergano said the ordinance adopted by the Township Council this month was updated for that reason. There were no recent problems reported at any of the nine local businesses that practice massage or somatic therapy, he said.

Land use: Plan to build hotel, expanded catering hall on Valley Road in Clifton is scrapped
Yet of the 674 bodywork businesses registered in New Jersey, investigators found that almost half were reviewed on a sex-buyer website in the past two years. The 23-page report said many women who worked at such establishments were part of a trafficking network based in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens.

The report said some businesses may attempt to conceal trafficking behavior by covering windows or by locking front doors, and both actions are now prohibited under the Wayne ordinance.

The updated law increases maximum fines for violations from $2,000 to $5,000, and it bans massage businesses from “buzzing in” clients and having opaque decals on their windows. Changes to the code also prohibit therapists from having adult toys, condoms and personal lubricants, as well as touching, or offering to touch, customers’ genitals.

In August, federal authorities charged four people for operating illicit massage parlors in this area.

The defendants allegedly operated nine spas, including two in Passaic and another in Paterson, knowing that they offered sex in exchange for money.

Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news in your community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: [email protected]