Frederick County massage therapist charged with sex trafficking, prostitution in spa
BALTIMORE - A Frederick County massage therapist was charged with sex trafficking and prostitution, according to police.
Police obtained search and seizure warrants for several Frederick County massage spa.
After an investigation, 52-year-old Huiping Hester, from Bethesda, was taken into custody on charges of two counts of sex trafficking and 14 additional counts associated with trafficking and prostitution.
Police received several complaints of suspicious activity at Calla Spa,–3518 Worthington Blvd. Unit 201 in Urbana, Maryland, and YiYi Spa, 178 Thomas Johnson Dr. Suite 204 in Frederick.
The investigation started in February 2018, officials said.
The Human Trafficking Response Team is to provide a victim-centered, collaborative response to human trafficking in Frederick County to assist in the identification of victims, prosecution of cases, and the availability and use of comprehensive services for victims.
"This long-term investigation, which dismantled this organized trafficking network, demonstrates our focus on the big-picture problem of human trafficking locally," said Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins. "This type of organized criminal activity is often closely associated with drug trafficking and other illicit activities."
"The investigative goal is three-pronged, to include shutting down the operation, prosecuting those responsible, and getting the victims out of these enslaved conditions. This recent dismantling is simply a small sampling of a much larger problem regionally and nationally. The successful execution of these warrants is just another part of our efforts to keep Frederick County a safe place for everyone."
