Sex trade hits the suburbs

By Tony Wall and Theresa Garner

Asian health and beauty clinics are offering sex from the middle of shopping centres as the sex industry spreads into suburban Auckland.

Police, alarmed by the proliferation of prostitution in unorthodox outlets, are discussing ways of reining in the industry before it gets out of control.

There are 18 licensed massage parlours in the inner city and three in outlying suburbs, but industry sources say more than a hundred illegal operations are offering sexual services.

It is unlawful for both licensed and unlicensed operations to act as brothels, but police have special powers under the 1978 Massage Parlour Act to control activities in licensed parlours.

They have no such rights to monitor illegal centres.

Authorities fear that abuses of human rights, use of under-age prostitutes and risky health and safety practices are widespread in illicit operations.

Licensed parlour owners are furious that the unlicensed centres are allowed to operate because they say they are driving the sex industry underground.

They say sex is also being sold from apartment buildings, hotels, motels and suburban houses.

The Asian Crime Unit is aware of more than 10 Chinese therapeutic massage businesses in Auckland reportedly selling sexual services, which is a breach of the law. The centres - which have sprung up in places such as Panmure, Ponsonby and Mt Eden - advertise haircuts, beauty makeovers and "medicinal" massage.

They charge about $50 for hour-long massage sessions performed by women from China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Laos and other Asian countries. But there is evidence that once a customer is taken to a room, "extras," including intercourse, can be negotiated with the masseuse.

The commander of the Auckland police, Superintendent Howard Broad, said the industry had spread from "what we would regard as traditional sites, and that's a concern."

Although reports that Thai women were being forced into prostitution were worrying, the wider issue was the way the sex industry was operating as a whole.

"That's something that we have got to address and I think we will do so in a strategic way - I'm not going to be drawn into any kind of knee-jerk reaction to this ... there is the potential here for unintended consequences." He said the anomalies went far deeper than licensing issues.

"You can't get away from the fact there is an illegal industry going on, and the legislative arrangement isn't suitable for it.

"How many massage parlours are operating as a cover for prostitution? Probably a few of them. At one time or another, you could hazard a guess and say most of them are."

The Mayor of Auckland, Christine Fletcher, said licensing was the most effective way to manage and contain the sex industry. "While we would find it desirable not to have a sex industry in the city, it does exist."

The council decided this week against imposing strict controls on licensed sex premises - they can continue operating in the central city and suburban business zones, as long as they are 250m from schools and houses.

Fort St massage parlour owner Mike Hall said the Asian clinics were part of the burgeoning unlicensed sex scene which included rap parlours and private outlets.

"I would say only 30 per cent of the industry is legal. You could be looking at around 120 illegals and, say, 40 legal parlours across Auckland City."