Undercover operation at spa south of Denver ends in prostitution bust after complaint, police say

A Denver metro area spa was the target of a recent undercover prostitution sting, which ended with the arrest of the spa's owner, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office said it received a complaint from a customer who said he was offered sexual acts in exchange for money at Mango Spa, at 6650 S. Vine St. in Centennial. Soon after, a deputy went undercover as a customer at the spa. According to the sheriff's office, the deputy was given a similar offer and declined, and then the owner, 46-year-old Sun Jingli, was arrested.

Singli faces charges of prostitution and keeping a place of prostitution, a misdemeanor. She's due in court on Nov. 7. No one else at the spa is facing charges, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office didn't say it believed there was evidence of human trafficking in this case, but said that businesses with high employee turnover and other suspicious behavior, such as being open later than advertised, only accepting cash, and having to buzz customers in, can point to human trafficking.

And while some experts, advocacy organizations, and law enforcement say prostitution can sometimes be tied to human trafficking, a growing movement is calling for decriminalizing or legalizing sex work to reduce stigmas and increase safety for both sex workers and customers.

Prostitution is illegal in most of the United States, except for several counties in Nevada. In Maine, selling sexual acts is decriminalized, but paying for sexual acts remains illegal.