Maryland police bust spa, accuse owner of human trafficking

Rockville (US), Aug 12 (AP) Authorities in Maryland have shut down a massage parlour and charged its owner with human trafficking. News outlets report Montgomery County Police describe Rose's Spa in Rockville as a "house of prostitution."

Police say officers tracked the owner Emily Zhang Lawrence shuttling six women back and forth from a home in Germantown she used as a dormitory for sex workers. WJLA reports a four-month police investigation found 18 male customers admitted to paying for illicit sexual acts. Police noted the employees are thought to be Chinese immigrants recruited from Flushing, New York.

Lawrence faces up to 41 years in prison if convicted on charges including prostitution and human trafficking. WJLA says Lawrence's lawyer David Martella did not comment. Trial is set for August 30. (AP) IND IND

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