Two women arrested at spa Thursday, November 20, 2008 | 6:48 AM

[houstonmacbro]

By Christine Dobbyn

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A northwest Harris County business that advertises
it's a spa was busted for prostitution.

Investigators with the Harris County Sheriff's Department arrested two
women at the BB Spa on Kuykendall near 1960. Detectives say the women
were selling sex inside but the county deputies could not shut the
place down because they say laws in unincorporated areas are much more
lax.

That is something a state senator is trying to change.

"I think we're going to have to realize this is not the old days when
counties were really loosely run," said Republican state senator Dan
Patrick of Houston. "I think we will have to give commissioners some
opportunity. We'll have to do that legislatively, so they can crack
down on this and other issues."

A local ministry group is also working with law enforcement to shut
places like this one down.

"If we can identify and track that and actually document that, then we
can turn it over to law enforcement, whatever law enforcement agency
is investigating and say, 'look we know that these women are not here
by choice,'" said "James" with Redeemed Ministries.

While it's unclear if the women arrested Wednesday are here illegally.
Investigators say human trafficking is often an element of a business
like this.

"We'll arrest these people and they will make bond tonight possibly.
This is what has happened in the past," said Lt Lofton Harrison with
the Harris County Sheriff's Department. "And they will be back
operating under a different name tomorrow, and that's frustrating but
the good part is we're taking some of these girls out of this
atmosphere."

Deputies ask you to call the Harris County tip line if you see
suspicious activity in your neighborhood at 713-877-5200.