EVERETT – Some women working at an Everett tanning salon sell more than artificial suntans, police are alleging.
An undercover Everett detective and three other men working with police say they were offered sex for money at Paradise Tanning Spa, located at 6917 Evergreen Way, according to a search warrant filed Monday in Everett Municipal Court.
One spa employee has been cited for prostitution. The business owner also is under investigation, police said.
Everett detectives have been investigating Paradise Tanning as a front for a prostitution operation since August. That’s when a detective found an advertisement for the business listed in a “sensual” section of The Seattle Weekly, according to court documents. The ads were also placed in The Stranger.
Other police departments have uncovered prostitution rings through similar advertisements, detectives said.
“I’m not sure why people think police don’t look at these newspapers. We are paying attention and we will respond as we need to,” Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.
Everett investigators also received a complaint from a man who told them he went to the tanning salon for some “relaxation,” and was eventually propositioned by an employee.
That led police to stake out the business. Investigators noted that no women customers were seen entering the tanning salon. There were no signs, exterior lights or hours of operation posted.
Security cameras were set up at the front and rear of the business. All the windows were tinted and the front door was locked, forcing customers to ring a bell to gain entrance.
Unusual activity also caught the attention of neighboring business owners.
Lars Linder noticed people coming and going at all hours. Linder owns a sign and graphics business two doors away from Paradise Tanning.
Spa customers often would park away from the building and walk up, he said. They often had baseball caps covering their faces, Linder said.
He never saw anybody who looked like they might want to go to a tanning salon, he said.
Police sent two informants into the business in November.
The men reported back that two different women massaged them and offered them sex. One employee asked one of the men to prove he wasn’t a police officer. The man told detectives he exposed himself to the woman, who quickly disrobed and brought out a condom.
Last week, police arrested one woman for investigation of prostitution after she reportedly touched an undercover police officer’s genitals and offered him sex for $120, according to the search warrant.
Investigators searched the business and seized money, condoms, a suitcase full of lingerie and schedule books.
The business remains open while police investigate the salon’s licenses, Goetz said.
All four men say the offers for sex occurred during massages. The owner doesn’t have a license with the city or state to provide massage, according to police.
Linder, who had called police about suspicious activity at the salon, was relieved to hear about last week’s arrest.
“I’m more than happy to see that that’s taken care of,” he said.
Reporter Jackson Holtz contributed to this report.
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