Montgomery County police detectives with the department's Vice and Intelligence unit have arrested and charged a New York woman with prostitution and sex trafficking. Police say online ads featuring photos of "scantily-clad Asian women in lingerie" led them to an unlicensed massage spa in the 14800 block of Physicians Lane in Rockville. Detectives have not publicly identified the name of the spa; there are three spas on that block.
Starting last November, V&I unit detectives began watching the spa, and noted male clients entering and leaving the business. Using evidence gathered, the detectives were able to obtain a search warrant for the spa premises at the end of December. They executed the warrant on January 4, 2023. Inside, they found an alleged sex trafficking victim, who told them that 63-year-old Yang Jiang had allegedly told her she could make extra money by providing sexual services to her massage clients.
“This arrest is the third incident in recent months involving an illicit spa and human trafficking in Montgomery County. This underscores the real and rising threat posed by human trafficking in the region,” MCPD Police Chief Marcus Jones said in a statement Monday. “Victims of human trafficking are not always forced into trafficking by brute, physical means. Victims are often coerced into being trafficked over a period of time through deliberate, psychological tactics used by their traffickers, so the signs of trafficking may not always be obvious. There are several ways that victims of trafficking can obtain help and can contact either the police department directly or the Montgomery County Crisis Center.”
Anyone with information regarding Yang Jiang is asked to contact the Montgomery County Department of Police Vice and Intelligence Unit at 240-773-5958 or contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous.
Police urge anyone who is a victim of sex trafficking to contact the Montgomery County Crisis Center. The Crisis Center provides free crisis services 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Services are available to you by telephone (240-777-4000) or in person at 1301 Piccard Drive in Rockville (no appointment needed). Alternatively, you can call 911.
Same thing was happening a few years ago at the professional park on Hungerford dr by Montgomery College.
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