POLK COUNTY, Fla. – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has concluded a two-day undercover operation targeting illegal activity at Asian massage parlors. The operation, which began on November 4th, resulted in the arrest of 21 individuals across Davenport, Dundee, Lakeland, and Winter Haven.
Undercover detectives posed as clients seeking legitimate massages from licensed therapists. During their visits, 20 massage therapists offered to perform sexual acts in exchange for money.
One suspect, Jinxia Huang, allegedly battered a detective who refused her advances. Another, Xiu Lin, was arrested for resisting arrest while interfering with a separate arrest.
“We want our communities to be safe and free from illegal activities, and criminals who take advantage of people. These arrests are part of our ongoing efforts to hold those who break the law accountable. We’re focused on keeping our neighborhoods safe, and we’ll keep cracking down on businesses that operate outside the law,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The suspects face a range of charges, including offering to commit prostitution, unlicensed massage therapy, battery, and resisting arrest.
Sheriff Judd encourages anyone with information about illegal activity at massage parlors to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-888-400-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com [invalid URL removed].
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