Affidavit: New massage parlor employee was there to ‘perform oral sex, have sex with customers’

A newly recruited employee of a Central El Paso massage parlor told agents she was there to give massages and “you know,” according to a criminal complaint affidavit.

Wearing a low-cut tank top and an “erotic-style bra,” the woman pulled up in a taxi as federal agents executed a search warrant Oct. 17 at the Kyoto Hot Stone Spa.

When asked what she meant by “you know,” the woman said she agreed to perform oral sex, masturbate and engage in sexual intercourse with the customers. She was also told her uniform would consist of a tight-fitting, short dress.

She told agents she was unemployed in California and was looking for work when she learned of someone recruiting women to work at a massage parlor in El Paso. The woman said she was to contact a woman once she arrived arrived at Kyoto. Agents said the cellphone number she had to call was that of the Kyoto owner, In Soon Kim.

The massage parlor at 616 N. Virginia St.near Downtown El Paso had been under investigation for alleged prostitution for years, and twice this year agents found used condoms in the trash.

During their search agents found condoms hidden in a large bottle of mouthwash, a container of herbal tea and inside the hollow legs of a shelf, something agents say is consistent with prostitution.

When agents arrived at the spa, they said Kim and the kitchen worker were in the side the of the building. Both women, as well as the the new employee, were read their Miranda rights in Korean by two agents. Kim said the women who worked at the spa were all Korean and not U.S. citizens. According to the affidavit, all three women agreed to speak to agents without the presence of an attorney.

During an interview, the kitchen worker told agents she had been working there for a few weeks. She denied any involvement in prostitution, but said she knew “immoral things were happening at the business,” records show.

Kim, the spa owner, told agents she was the “100 percent owner.” When agents presented to her the evidence of hidden condoms and the new employee’s statements, Kim said she received money for the massages up-front, “and what happened after that was none of her concern.” She said the women received monetary tips from customers.

According to the affidavit, when Kim was asked about the sex act the new employee described, Kim admitted she believed they occurred at the business.

Agents also searched an apartment in the 10000 block of Rushing Road in Northeast El Paso, which Kim said belonged to her. She told one of the agents she was embarrassed because “there were two boxes of condoms in her apartment for the massage parlor.”

When agents searched the apartment, they found two boxes — one full and one half-empty — labeled “1,000 condoms.”

Kim was arrested on suspicion of coercion and enticement to transport illegal sexual activity. She had her initial court appearance on Oct. 19. She is set to have a preliminary and detention hearing on Tuesday. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison.