City updates massage parlor ordinance
To ensure safer services for residents, the city of Vestavia Hills recently updated its ordinance regarding massage parlors, which had not been updated since its inception in the 1970s.
Massage parlors have kept police busy lately, after shutting down five parlors in the last 18 months, Vestavia Hills Lt. Mike Keller said. Four of those parlors were shut down after it was discovered the “therapists” were offering sexual services in exchange for money, Keller said.
The most recent incident was at Oasis Day Spa and Wellness Center, where the CEO of the business, LeVan Uriah Johnson, faces 14 charges of first-degree sexual abuse and stands accused of assaulting customers who had come into Oasis seeking massage services. Johnson was not licensed as a massage therapist and also did not have a license for his establishment, as required by the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy, Keller said. Instead, Johnson claimed a Native American exemption and claimed to be performing Native American massages, Keller said.
The city has now adopted the regulations of the state board which oversees massage providers and has also strengthened fines for noncompliance. If massage providers in the city do not comply with licensing requirements, Vestavia Hills Municipal Court Director Umang Patel said they could face jail time. Under the “penalties” section of the ordinance, violations of the ordinance are considered a misdemeanor crime, and that can lead to either a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, Patel said.
The business must have an establishment license from the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy displayed on the premises at all times, and it must have a business license from the city before being allowed to open, according to the ordinance.
During the application and renewal process, massage providers will now need to submit an affidavit listing all the employees at the business and proving that all massage therapists are properly licensed by the state. There are also rules regarding cleanliness and dress.
The ordinance also expanded the definition of what counts as a massage and gives city officials more power to do inspections and take actions when needed, Keller said.
The city can investigate the businesses at any point, Patel said. These changes were made not just because of what was happening in Vestavia Hills, but also because of issues Patel and other city leaders saw in other cities, including Tuscaloosa, he said. There are connections between massage parlors and human trafficking, he said.
Had the ordinance been in place when Oasis opened, Johnson would not have been allowed to operate his business because he did not have a state license.
Moving forward, Patel and Keller said they’ve both spoken with massage therapists in the city, and while they’ve gone back and forth to ensure fairness for the businesses, everyone is on board to create a safe environment for guests.
“If you’re a credible massage therapy provider, none of these requirements hurt you,” Patel said.