Christine Jordan Sexton
New regulations for massage clinics that legislators hope will crack down on human trafficking and prostitution are slated to take effect on July 1.
The new measure (HB 197) — which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed this week — requires the state to suspend the licenses of massage therapists and massage establishments if any employee of a massage therapist or establishment is arrested for any of spate of offenses, including having sex with minors, prostitution, kidnapping or false imprisonment.
There are approximately 36,178 massage therapists licensed to practice in Florida, and there are about 8,966 licensed massage establishments in Florida. That’s according to Department of Health (DOH) Division of Medical Quality Assurance data for Fiscal Year 2022-23.
State regulators conducted 9,513 massage establishment inspections in that year and filed 229 administrative complaints against massage therapists and massage establishments. Of those, 30% related to sexual conduct.
In the same year, DOH issued 20 emergency orders against massage establishments, and 23 emergency orders against individual massage therapists.
According to state regulators, those orders don’t all stick, in part, because there is inconsistency in the treatment of massage therapists and the establishment where they work. While DOH is required to issue emergency orders suspending the licenses of any health care practitioner, including massage therapists, who have been arrested for committing or attempting certain crimes, it is not mandated in law to do the same for licensed massage establishments.
The mandated emergency suspension for establishments doesn’t occur until there is a condition or a licensee has pled guilty or no contest.
The inconsistency has hampered the state’s ability to further crack down on illicit massage businesses (IMBs), a primary venue for sex trafficking.
There were 51,073 substantive signals to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2021, 6% of which, or 2,894, came from Florida. That put the state behind California (10%) and Texas (7%) for the most number of signals.
More than half of the 2,894 signals came from victims or survivors. Of those signals, 781 cases involving 1,253 victims were identified.
Cases are defined as “distinct situations of trafficking reported to the hotline. A case can involve one or more potential victims of trafficking and can be reported through one or more signals. The use of the word case is not an indication of law enforcement involvement in the situation,” according to the hotline.
When appropriate demographic data on victims and survivors is collected. That data show that most human trafficking in Florida in 2021 involved female adults.
The Legislature already has passed a number of provisions aimed at cracking down on IMBs, some of which have licenses to operate and purport to operate legally but provide the venue for the sale of sexual services. For instance, massage establishments cannot operate between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. and they are required to include their license number of the therapist or the establishment.
Health regulators and members of law enforcement are also authorized to require massage center employees to produce government identification.
24 comments
Dont Say FLA
May 7, 2024 at 12:16 pm
Why not decriminalize hand jobs such that legitimate massage therapists can be left entirely out of the sticky massage parlor mess created by the very silly prohibition of hand jobs.
Of all things to be outlawed. Hand jobs! How silly. Every adult male has done that thousands of times by their 18th birthday, and nobody died. Nobody went blind. So what’s the problem?
Seriously. First generation college girls gotta work somewhere now that they can’t strip anymore.
Our rights to hunting and fishing can be guaranteed in the state Constitution, so I don’t see why hand jobs couldn’t be protected too.
Elvis Pitts "AMERICA'S BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT" American
May 7, 2024 at 7:37 pm
Dont worry my Beautiful Son/Daughter,
I’ve done a “Deep Dive” Legislative review on this new law as soon as I was made aware of your concerns. And theres nothing to worry about. Our fine “American young ladies, properly licensed and trained, will still be legal to perform massages on male and female gentillia and keep their jobs which are so critical in the future to lift Florida out of Biden-Nomics and the workers can still support their beloved families.
HERE’S PROOF:
All the law addresses is this:
” ….. any employee of a massage therapist or establishment is arrested for any of spate of offenses, including having sex with minors, prostitution, kidnapping or false imprisonment”.
Nowhere in the law is the theraputic manipulation and massage of an Adult customer’s gentillia (male and/or female) even addressed.
Our next year Legislative Objectives include the harvesting of the climatic “Wank Juice” to be utilized for anyone wanting to have a baby but maybe their Hubby/Boyfriend/Partner is either shooting blanks or maybe they are of the same sex.
Thank you my Beloved Son/Daughter,
As you see theres really nothing to worry about as the new law focuses solely on stopping Human Traffiking and “Hand Jobs are still why 89.6633% of Floridians go to our “Beloved Asian Massage Therapy Locations”,
Your Dad who Loves You,
DAD
Dont Say FLA
May 8, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Thanks pops! But my thing is I like the back walking massages. They’re the only ones who apply deep enough pressure. But then they all gotta make some jerky money which is hit or miss and isn’t why I’m there. I’d prefer to get a massage, including back walk, without them then tickling my anus trying to manufacture a job opportunity for themselves. I’d prefer to just go to a handjob parlor for a handjob when its my winkie that’s aching and go to a massage therapist for a massage when it’s my muscles that ache and my winkie would prefer to be left out of it because that turns a 90 minute massage into a 30 min massage, 15 minutes anus tickles, and then 45 minutes of non-massage when what i needed was a dang ole massage because of muscle aches not winkie aching! And why are we calling you by your birth name Elvis now? I though you didn’t like that and that why would you would always tell everybody “My Name is Earl” not Elvis.
Monday news
May 9, 2024 at 10:23 am
That took a long time to process indoor prostitution.and laundering. They must have debated what cigar goes their
Tom
May 7, 2024 at 2:06 pm
I guess Robert Kraft won’t be dropping off those political donations in person then
rick whitaker
May 7, 2024 at 7:40 pm
MY COMMENT TO THE ELVIS POSTER WAS MODERATED FOR NO GOOD RESON
Elvis Pitts "AMERICA'S BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT" American
May 7, 2024 at 7:57 pm
Thank you Rick for your Wacky Fake Leftist Contrarian followups to my, Elvis Pitts American’s l, postings of Sage Wisdom.
As you can see after next years Legislative Initative to begin harvesting the “Wank Juice” Florida will be sitting on thousands of 55 Gal. Drums of “Wank Juice” to supply to Fertiliaty Clinics World-Wide.
Rick Florida will litterally be then “Sitting On A Gold-Mine of “Wank Juice” revenue.
Thanks again, Rick, you are the Best at making Me My Best …. keep up the good work buddy,
EPA
rick whitaker
May 7, 2024 at 7:59 pm
XXX POISON
rick whitaker
May 7, 2024 at 10:31 pm
EARL-ELVIS, you do know if you were in my presence and you called me lefty dook for brains, what would happen next don’t you? i’ll give you a hint, no one has ever said anything like that to my face, ever. think about that you redneck punk. also, you do know that i know way more about gary burbank than you think i do. you have never met anyone like me for sure. i have met jockers like you before. elvis, what a stupid name. you were born in mississippi, so i guess you relate to that narcotics addict, elvis, my ass.
TJC
May 8, 2024 at 3:51 pm
The selection for moderation is random and not based on content — the content is judged during the moderation process — but the more you post the greater your chance for being moderated. I’ve had my posts set aside for moderation many times, but they always get posted eventually, within a day at most. No need to take it personally. I can assure you that Pitts and the likes of him have their stuff set aside for moderation quite regularly — due to the sheer amount of stuff he posts — and I’m sure it all gets posted eventually, even though it is nonsense — and often mean-spirited nonsense at that.
rick whitaker
May 8, 2024 at 10:09 pm
TJC thank you. i knew that already , but i guess i forgot. it’s easy to get sucked in to the grievance trip, just ask trump
My Take
May 9, 2024 at 3:03 pm
I think every post with a link gets moderated.
For others I see no obvious systematics, except possibly for a strange word now and then.
rick whitaker
May 7, 2024 at 8:00 pm
ANOTHER INNOCULOUS COMMENT TO ELVIS (EARL PITTS ) MODERATED
Elvis Pitts "AMERICA'S BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT" American
May 7, 2024 at 8:22 pm
Thanks again Rick,
Please forgive me for forgetting to “Bring You Inti The Loop” about me changing my name from Earl to Elvis.
We did some marketing survays and found a full 78.336% of people perferred the name Elvis over Earl …. so in order to reach out to more “Dook 4 Brains Leftys” and get them convinced to “Vote Trump” the switch to “Elvis” was total “NO-BRAINER” as I’m sure you agree.
Thanks again Rick you’ve always got my back,
Elvis Pitts American
rick whitaker
May 7, 2024 at 8:31 pm
elvis-earl shitts, you are a turd no matter how you package it. a guy like you that hides behind fake names and is ALWAYS phony, is a childish and cowardly jerk. you know it. i know it. all fp posters know it. is that what turns you on, you loser you. go sit in your own shitbox.
rick whitaker
May 7, 2024 at 8:32 pm
fuk u punk
Dont Say FLA
May 8, 2024 at 1:30 pm
Daaaaaanng, Rick? Hit the bottle on an empty stomach tonite? I do that sometimes, okay a lot of the time, and it never works out well.
Writing nasty comments sure beats blowing hundreds to even thousands on stupid shit from Amazon that I didn’t need and nobody needs.
So I gave up Amazon. I cancelled that account years ago.
Elvis Pitts "AMERICA'S BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT" American
May 8, 2024 at 7:14 pm
Thanks my Beautiful Son/Daughter,
You literally saved Rick’s life by letting me know he had gone on another bender with his Tennessee Whiskey.
I called my pilot and had him fire up our jet, flew up to Tennessee, and me and Rick’s Beautiful “Hot Wife” were able to corner Rick and its then that I shot him with a tranqulizer dart from my AR15 Pistol. As soon as he hit the floor we hand cuffed and used leg irons to secure Rick to the bed and admistered a shot of Vitamin B12 to him. After that we gave Rick a blood transfusion, using my, Elvis Pitts Americans, own blood, to dilute the effects of all that Tennessee Whiskey he had “Swilled Down”.
It looks like he’s on the road to recovery and its all thanks to you my Beautiful Son/Daughter. Your Dad’s never been more proud of you!!!! You saved Rick’s life and his marrage to his beautiful “Hot Wife”.
I’ll stay here with Rick’s Beautiful “Hot Wife” and make sure all her needs are met until such time as we can release Rick back into Polite Society.
Your Dad, Elvis Pitts American
rick whitaker
May 8, 2024 at 9:25 pm
DSF, i don’t do alcohol and i don’t do people like gary burbank. is he a friend of yours? anyway i talk to him like the dog he is. do you politely hold back, well that’s good too.
Monday news
May 9, 2024 at 10:27 am
Tampa and Cuba organizer of crime days.
Hollywood hoe house’s,and fine cigars
Elvis Pitts "AMERICA'S BIG VOICE ON THE RIGHT" American
May 9, 2024 at 8:44 pm
Good evening to all my Besty Sage Patriots,
Upon receiving the results of a totally Un-Biased Sage Review Board of all the Postings above it is abundantly clear and my Sage Honor to announce that the totally un-biased Review Board has come to its conclusion who the Sage Winners of the verbal Back And Forth postings above are!!!!
STAND BY FOR THE LIST OF WINNERS:
1.) My Beautiful Son/Daughter DONT SAY FLA.
AND
2.) Me, Elvis Pitts American.
Thank you America and dont forget to Relax Your Sphincters,
Elvis Pitts American
rick whitaker
May 9, 2024 at 10:27 pm
EARL/ELVIS THE SPHINCTER MAN,,,,,WHATEVER
Andrew Finn
May 10, 2024 at 9:14 am
Wow – this could be bad news for the 5 or 6 “massage centers” in Florida that are actually massage centers !!!! As for therapists – well just break down the word “therapist” and you get “the rapist” – Enough said !!!!
Bill
May 11, 2024 at 1:27 pm
For a nice tip my massage therapist tramples my face with her feet and shoes. She has me smell her socks and shoes. There’s no sex or release involved. Would be very disappointed if that was outlawed!