Authorities in Texas ordered a Denton spa accused of sex trafficking to shut down.
Tao Spa must close for six months, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation announced Tuesday. According to the emergency order, investigators found hidden condoms, several bottles of baby oil, douche cleanser, and women “dressed provocatively” at the strip mall spa on West University Drive.
Spa owner Xiaohang Chen did not respond to a phone call seeking comment Wednesday. Chen did not have a license to operate a massage business, the state agency said.
Denton County sheriff’s officers began investigating the spa on Sept. 5, according to the emergency order. Authorities observed several men entering the business and leaving within 30 minutes. One customer told an officer that he was propositioned for sex and asked to pay $200.
On a follow-up visit a week later, investigators with the licensing department and sheriff’s office found $500 and two unused condoms in a cardboard food container in the kitchen, as well as $2,770 in a false bottom of a Maxwell House coffee container, the order says.
Investigators also found several bottles of baby oil, douche in the shower and in the trash and condoms inside a laundry detergent bottle and a wet wipe container. They also found an ATM inside the business, security cameras, a fully-stocked kitchen and refrigerator while food cooked in a pan and rice cooker, two suitcases, and women’s clothing.
A sign posted on the wall described services such as “Foot Reflexology,” “Combination Session,” and “Four Hands.” A handwritten ledger onsite said two employees were providing services.
When authorities tried to question the two women, one declined to answer questions, began having breathing problems and said she wanted to die, the order says. The other woman said she cooks and cleans for the business and had worked there for 20 days without pay.
It is unclear what happened to the women. A spokesperson for the Denton County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a phone call or email seeking additional information.
The spa, in the 1000 block of West University Drive, sat in a small strip mall near a personal loan business and comic store. Online, advertisements promised “good & quality service” and offered a “girlfriend package.” “Know just how to pamper you and make you feel like the KING you are!!!” one advertisement read.
A hearing to determine the spa’s future will be scheduled later this month, the order says. Texas law allows the licensing and regulation department to issue such an emergency closure if authorities suspect human trafficking.
This is the tenth emergency order issued by the agency since the law went into effect in September 2023. Relax Spa in Garland voluntarily shut down in September of this year in response to a state investigation into trafficking.
“Anyone operating a massage establishment in Texas that is not licensed as required should know that we at TDLR take seriously our responsibilities for protecting clients and employees of massage establishments,” the department’s executive director Courtney Arbour said in a written statement.
Tao Spa’s closure comes as another North Texas city is cracking down on prostitution at massage parlors. City officials in Plano have sought court orders to investigate massage parlors they believe are a front for prostitution and human trafficking. One business, Tennyson Wellness Center, agreed to shut down earlier this year. Another, Red Rose Spa, is under investigation.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking can contact the National Hotline for Human Trafficking at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). If the situation is an emergency or you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911 and alert the authorities.
Complaints against businesses regulated by the licensing and regulation department, including massage therapists, can be submitted online at tdlr.texas.gov/complaints.
