Testimony begins in Missoula massage parlor sex trafficking trial - Longview News-Journal

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Testimony and arguments began this week in the trial of Yanbin Bao, who is accused of operating a massage brothel in Soul Massage off Highway 93 in Missoula along with her husband, Richard Bushey.

Bao is being charged with seven counts of human trafficking and one count of involuntary servitude. She pleaded not guilty to all charges in June 2023.



Yanbin Bao, right, listens to expert witness testimony during a jury trial at the Missoula County Courthouse on Thursday. Bao faces three counts of promoting prostitution as well as three counts of trafficking of persons, all of which are felonies.

BEN ALLAN SMITH, Missoulian

Over the course of the first week at Missoula County District Court, county prosecutors and Bao’s defense laid out their cases, then the state began calling witnesses to the stand, including a woman who called the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and said she was being pressured to perform sex acts on clients, leading to Bao’s arrest. The state also called an expert witness from California and the lead investigator on the case.

Prosecutors argue that Bao and Bushey were running an illegal massage brothel and were involved in labor trafficking and sex trafficking of multiple women. Bao’s defense called into question the completeness of the state’s evidence, saying that four of Bao's eight charges related to women whose names the state didn’t even know. Bao's defense pointed out that the expert witness has no connection to this case, and alleged that witness testimony would show that the survivor who called the authorities did not take opportunities to leave and had stated she would stay at the parlor under a different manager. They also said that the defendant wasn't even in Missoula during the timeframe of most of the alleged crimes.

The survivor testified that she came from China seeking asylum because of her animal rights activism, and she came to Missoula because Bao offered her an affordable, dog-friendly place to live if she worked for Soul Massage as a massage therapist. She said she thought she’d just be offering normal massages, but said Bao quickly made it clear that she was expected to give clients sexual services.

“She told me to masturbate the customers,” the survivor said. “I refused to do that.”

Because of her refusal to perform sex acts, the survivor testified, her relationship with Bao quickly deteriorated, leading eventually to an altercation where she called 911 and gave a statement to police. Bao and Bushey were then arrested. According to charging documents, investigating officers found features typical of massage brothels, such as a stash of condoms, surveillance cameras and communal living spaces on-site for the female workers. According to the documents, law enforcement believes the Missoula site was part of a larger human trafficking operation.

Illegal massage brothels exist across the country, often trafficking women who come from China to the United States, testified Detective Aaron Grass with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in California. He said trafficking operations that run illegal massage brothels often use debt bondage to trap victims, preventing them from accessing any services outside the purview of the trafficking organization. Grass said Chinese cultural norms can make victims hesitant to leave if they owe their traffickers money.



Aaron Grass, a detective with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, offers expert testimony on human trafficking during a jury trial for Yanbin Bao at the Missoula County Courthouse on Thursday.

BEN ALLAN SMITH, Missoulian

“There’s a certain level of pride,” Grass testified. “If you owe somebody money, you’re gonna pay them back.”

Many illegal massage brothels have their victims live on site. Grass testified that he’s never seen a legitimate massage business with mattresses on the floor. Documents state that investigators found mattresses on the floor in Soul Massage, where the women who worked there slept. Grass also testified that many illegal massage brothels will keep condoms on site.

Prosecutors also called Travis Wafstet with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, head investigator on the case, to the stand. Wafstet testified that police found 86 condoms in Soul Massage, along with a set of lace lingerie and a condom wrapper in the outside trash.

Wafstet also read translations of messages found on phones belonging to the survivor. In the messages, the survivor accused Bao of being a human trafficker and said Bao allegedly instructed the survivor on what sex acts to perform on customers.

The trial will continue before Judge Leslie Halligan through the end of next week.