12 Are Arrested in Prostitution Cases at Tanning Salons

Can it be? A new twist on the world’s oldest profession?

So say Garden Grove police, who--after a four-week investigation--have arrested 12 people on suspicion of prostitution at three area tanning salons.

Massage parlors have traditionally held the distinction as covers for prostitution. But now, local authorities said, the trend may be changing, with the illegal trade shifting to businesses that purport to offer more 1990s-style pampering--like tanning salons.

“I’m not saying they are all fronts,” said Garden Grove Capt. David Abrecht. “But these businesses are a little more sophisticated than in the old days about how they approach prostitution.”

Police in other communities--such as Anaheim, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach--said they haven’t seen similar illegal activity in tanning salons in those cities. But they acknowledge it might be on the horizon.

“Like everything else,” said Anaheim Police Sgt. Russ Sutter, “things just continue to evolve. . . . As the crooks learn to do new things, the cops catch up. It’s a continuing evolving process.”

According to Garden Grove’s Abrecht, prostitution already has started creeping into legitimate businesses like tanning and hydrotherapy salons and even some chiropractic offices.

So much so that, according to Abrecht, the city began cracking down on fly-by-night prostitution enterprises in February, requiring start-up tanning salons to apply for a police permit. Massage parlors, he said, must additionally prove that employees have proper training.

“Garden Grove has taken it on the chin,” Abrecht said, “and we don’t want this kind of [illegal] business in town.”

The investigation leading to Wednesday’s arrests began after a legitimate customer of one Garden Grove tanning salon notified authorities of suspicious activity, including a lack of equipment, the frequency of men visiting the salon and an inordinate number of women loitering on the premises.

Police then expanded the investigation into two other salons.

An employee at one neighboring business said he suspected all along that something was up.

“I’ve never seen anything but men go in there,” said Gary Caffel of Triple G Answering Service, which is above Sun’s Tanning--one of the salons where arrests were made. “When we would take our breaks, we’d see men walking in and out of there all night long.”

Along with Sun’s Tanning, at 13071 Brookhurst St., arrests were made at Coco Tanning, 12151 Brookhurst St., and Tan’s Tanning, at 13037 Euclid St. Authorities were uncertain if the three were jointly owned.

Arrested were three women on suspicion of operating a house of prostitution and eight women and a man on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution.

Employees at the answering service company weren’t surprised about the arrests but said others visiting Sun’s Tanning on Thursday were.

“We’ve seen a few men come by today to get service,” Caffel said. “But there were no ladies there to help them.”