Manatee deputies will now inspect massage parlors to prevent illegal sexual activity
With a unanimous vote Tuesday morning, the Manatee Board of County Commissioners approved new rules targeting massage parlors that provide more sexual services than therapeutic pain relief.
The vote marks the conclusion of a nearly 7-month process that began in May when Commissioner Misty Servia urged her fellow board members to enforce more restrictions on “nuisance businesses” that operate in her district. There were no objections to the new ordinance, which makes it easier for law enforcement to inspect the businesses.
“A huge thank you to the County Attorney’s Office for doing the heavy lifting in developing this ordinance. I also want to thank my colleagues here on the board for the unanimous support to get this done,” Servia said. “This is going to make a big difference to the constituents in my district and really help our county as a whole.”
As part of the new regulations, businesses that offer massages may no longer be furnished with beds, mattresses or futons and rooms where massages occur may not be equipped with locks. The ordinance also requires that employees remain “completely clothed” in opaque clothing.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, which worked closely with the county’s legal staff, suspects there at least 12 massage parlors in the area that actually operate as prostitution houses. Deputies now have the right to inspect massage establishments any time the business is open or occupied by employees.
“We did add some requirements at the request of MSO with regard to the opacity or inability to have basically opaque windows and storefronts to the extent that these massage establishments are located in store areas, and a couple other things they thought were particularly helpful to them for enforcing the ordinance,” said Assistant County Attorney Christoper DeCarlo.
Commissioners have tried to prevent sexually oriented businesses from operating in Manatee County before, but this time, the board is confident that the specific language will help law enforcement solve the problem for good.
“This could have been done years ago, but we hadn’t thought of the right language,” said Commissioner Carol Whitmore.
“I think this time we had success really because of the sheriff’s office and the cooperation with the County Attorney’s Office. You guys getting together, working out how you could go about it with the strategy you put in place,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh added. “It’ll be interesting to see how this moves forward.”
Business owners are now required to keep detailed logs that list the personal information for employees, along with the all duties they perform as part of their job description. Those performing massage services must obtain a license from the Florida Board of Massage Therapy.
Any building or business that doesn’t comply could be declared a public nuisance, and the county could pursue legal action in circuit court.
