New Bill Takes On Sex Trafficking At Massage Parlors
HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) – In August, an undercover detective in Hollywood was offered oral sex at a massage parlor. On Wednesday, Florida legislators took the first step toward banning these parlors – hotbeds for sex trafficking – from operating between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The proposed legislation would also prohibit anyone from living at massage parlors, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
"Today the Criminal Justice Subcommittee passed legislation to limit the ability of illicit massage parlors to function as hotbeds for human trafficking and prostitution," said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach.
Gaetz called the urban proliferation of massage parlors featuring blacked-out windows, neon signs, and late-night hours a "blight" on the Florida landscape.
The bill, which received unanimous support from committee members, will now move to various other House and Senate committees, said Gaetz, the committee chair.
If the bill survives those committees, it will go to the legislature. If it passes a vote there, Gov. Rick Scott will sign it into law. The new rules would take effect Oct. 1.
Read more in the full article.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel contributed to this report.)
