The customer was upset with services rendered, so he went online to vent.
“Really average at best. Not overly attractive. Not very good English. Massage seemed short.”
Welcome to Rubmaps.com, a popular site among massage-parlor enthusiasts. And make no mistake: the G-rated (if brusk) review above isn’t typical. Rubmaps is no Yelp or TripAdvisor: It’s down and dirty, crudely rating businesses on their female employees’ most intimate attributes and services.
There are a dozen Peoria businesses, plus one in East Peoria, critiqued on Rubmaps.com. Of scores of reviews available, nearly all indicate a sex-for-cash transaction, usually a manual act. It’s impossible to prove whether these anonymous postings are real. Then again, why would dozens of men go through the trouble — and, via membership to the site, pay for the privilege to do so — just to create an elaborate ruse? Where there’s smoke, there’s fire — and Rubmaps.com indicates a quietly smoldering illicit-massage scene in Peoria.
A naive observer might ask, "What’s the harm?" After all, the transactions apparently involve adults, and local law enforcement almost never get complaints about the massage trade. However, critics (in Peoria and elsewhere) say there can be much more involved than cheap, shady thrills — as underscored by three recent developments regarding the industry, locally and otherwise:
• The Peoria City Council is considering the adoption of a tougher ordinance regarding massage operations.
• Last month, Polaris, one of the world’s largest trackers of human trafficking, issued a 100-page report detailing the sordid industry of illicit massage operations, one in which women (often from Asia) are routinely ensnared and enslaved — in the United States as well as worldwide — for the pleasure of men. In no way is it, as many contend, a victimless crime. In America in 2017, the 32,000 cases of human trafficking (a number likely far under-reported) were broken into 25 categories: massage parlors accounted for almost 3,000 cases, second only to escort services.
• The Peoria-based Center for Prevention of Abuse recently created a division focusing solely on human trafficking, and it’s training a keen eye on local massage enterprises.
So, what is happening in Peoria’s massage establishments?
A cursory Google search of “massage Peoria” will glean about 50 hits, the majority spotlighting what seem to be reputable businesses, including multiple chiropractors. But sprinkled amid the results are a handful of operations that are rated on Rubmaps.com. Polaris says there are 9,000 illicit massage businesses operating across the country, including more than 700 in Illinois, accounting for $2.5 billion in revenue nationwide. But a massage-parlor employee is not the same as a massage therapist.
“There’s a significant difference,” says Ron Pretcht, spokesman for the not-for-profit, Evanston-based American Massage Therapy Association, which represents 8,200 massage schools, therapists and businesses nationwide. “All legitimate massage therapists must be licensed by the state. Ask to see their license."
In Illinois, professional massage therapists must be licensed by the The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Requirements include 600 hours of massage instruction and a state-approved competency exam. Therapists also must be fingerprinted and be of “good moral character,” which in part allows the state to consider a criminal record that includes “a felony or a misdemeanor or any crime that is directly related to the practice of the profession.”
There is a curious exemption: “Practitioners of Asian bodywork approaches are exempt from this Act if they are members of the American Organization of Bodywork Therapies of Asia as certified practitioners or if they are approved by an Asian bodywork organization based on a minimum level of training, demonstration of competency, and adherence to ethical standards set by their governing body."
Precht, the trade-group spokesman, calls Asian bodywork a “legitimate” practice but not traditional massage — and not included among his group’s members. For instance, he says, one technique is “manipulation of the aura,” which involves no touching. Other techniques do involve manual manipulation, but little of the practice overlaps with massage therapy, Precht says. In that Asian bodywork is hard to quantify and measure, it’s not regulated by the state.
“There are a lot of (bodywork) practice and techniques that aren’t supported by research,” Precht says.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse raises an eyebrow about the non-license distinction. “I don’t know why we have that exception,” says Sara Dillefeld, the director of the center's human-trafficking services.
In that the division is new, this year's focus will be on education regarding human trafficking, among law enforcement and the public. That way, the center hopes to help victims of human trafficking — 20 so far this year, with 16 involved in prostitution and the rest in labor.
Meanwhile, the center is seeking to educate itself regarding Peoria's massage parlors. Broadly speaking, employees of illicit massage businesses nationally often are lured from Asia with promises of legitimate jobs, only to find themselves forced to work in sleazy, illegal parlors, Dillefeld said. Most cannot speak English and do not know any recourse or protection via U.S. courts or agencies. Plus, many owe money for transportation to America, so they work off the debt in massage parlors, often at less than minimum wage. Further, Asian culture discourages any protest toward those who have helped another, such as by travel to a new land. Put that all together, and many employees feel trapped in the illicit trade.
"Once they start that, it's hard to get out of," Dillefeld says. "These people have no place to turn."
Traditionally, law enforcement of massage parlors (in Peoria and elsewhere) has been driven by complaints. Peoria County State’s Attorney Jerry Brady cannot recall his office prosecuting such an offense. In Tazewell County, an employee of an East Peoria massage parlor (one still listed on Rubmaps.com) was charged with prostitution for allegedly agreeing to a sex act there with an undercover police officer. Despite the officer’s testimony, the woman (a Chinese national who spoke no English) was acquitted.
“I can’t say that it is or isn’t taking place in Peoria County,” Brady says.
Rubmaps.com says it is.
The site charges $14.95 a month or $99 a year, which allows members to read and post reviews of businesses nationwide. An email seeking comment for this story went unanswered by the company, which is based in Cypress. However, the website says it has an “Anti-trafficking Policy,” claiming, “Our site is wholly committed to raising awareness of the human trafficking issue,” and offers links to Polaris, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and other organizations.
Meanwhile, Rubmaps.com lists 18 entries under “massage” in Peoria. Twelve operate in Peoria, one is in East Peoria and the rest are closed. At each of the 13 shops, a Journal Star reporter dropped off a card with an employee, along with a note asking for the owner to call regarding an upcoming story in this newspaper. None called.
As stated on the site, each business charges $50 to $65 per hour. Some accept credit cards; others are cash-only.
The setup for each seems basically the same. There is little to no vantage from the outside, with windows covered by shades or curtains. As the front door opens, a tinkling bell announces the arrival of a guest. There is a greeting area, much like a hostess stand at a restaurant. Decor is usually sparse, perhaps a bowl of mints and little else. There is always a backroom, often cordoned off by a drape.
Sometimes music plays, the indistinct kind often heard on elevators. One shop brimmed with a sweet floral aroma; another carried a bitter odor of liverwurst.
Occasionally, a woman will be sitting at the front area. If the front area is vacant, the tinkling bell will summon a woman from the backroom, bustling and calling a singsong “Hello.” Some appear with a smile; many look vacant, almost robotic, as if weary from a shift on an assembly line.
For each Peoria business on Rubmaps.com, the number of comments range from two to 36, some made as recently as this year. Some describe interactions that are non-sexual, but those are rare.
The women are described by their attributes and features, including age estimate and “ethnicity,” the latter typically listed as “Chinese” or “Asian.” There is a spot to estimate “breast size” and note the presence of “implants.”
The services are delineated, some with vulgarity, with ratings ranging from zero to five stars. Among the Peoria reviews, there is almost no mention of intercourse.
By far, the most typical sex act reported is the "happy ending," or manual manipulation, which generally earns a tip of $40. Despite a frequent language barrier, these negotiations typically go off without a hitch. As one reviewer recounted, “She giggles, but holds up four fingers, and I shake my head yes like a dog in heat.”
The comments include thumbnail sketches of visits. But even praiseworthy remarks belie exploitation and degradation:
• “This was exactly what I needed after a long day at the office, I can't wait to come back and see her again.”
• “She's a pretty young girl, not the best one around but for my purpose she would do great.”
• “She smacked me on the ass and gave a bottle of water and said come back again. Probably will come back.”
• “The damn girl knew what she was doing.”
• “She was in her 50's I think. She wasn't horrible, though, and she had an OK body for a gal her age.”
And many comments are candidly crass:
• “Not very attractive masseuse.”
• ”The (sex act) was lame. The lamest I’ve ever had.”
• ”Disappointing at best.”
• “Not overly attractive.”
Some comments spark debate. When one customer boasts of his $20 tip — apparently not negotiated ahead of time and far lower than the usual $40 — another commentator criticizes him as cheap: “The tip is what most of the girls rely on for pay. The house fee or most of it goes to the spa owner.” Another retorts, “$20 is a lousy tip. Guys like you make it tough for the rest of us. If you can't afford the hobby, DIY at home.”
Overall, though, the tone of the comments seems freewheeling. As one post declared, "So many … choices in Peoria now and many are really good."
How can communities battle such clandestine operations?
As echoed by Polaris and the Center for Prevention of Abuse, targeting employees (such as by police stings) will not accomplish much. Jail does almost nothing to ebb the element of human trafficking. Rather, a multi-pronged attack could be more effective, such as monitoring activity locally while federal authorities investigate connections between parlors and other small businesses to look for shell companies, money laundering and other possible improprieties. Meanwhile, social-service agencies could connect with employees to inquire about human trafficking.
Further, Polaris urges local authorities to weed out owners and operators of illegal parlors, by enacting and enforcing regulations much like those used with the restaurant trade. That is the aim of a proposed ordinance change in Peoria.
Chuck Grayeb, the 2nd District Councilman, says the city of Peoria has been receiving inquiries and concerns about massage operations.
"My constituents were asking, 'What's going on? These places are popping up all over the place,'" Grayeb says.
Currently, Peoria's massage ordinances essentially defer to state law, which focuses on licensing individuals. The new language addresses the actual businesses, says City Manager Patrick Urich.
"We're trying to provide framework," Urich says. "The legitimate business out there won't have to worry."
New requirements would include:
• Issuing business permits and requiring annual inspections.
• Mandating open storefront-window space to allow outsiders to see in.
• Posting a sign underscoring the illegality in offering money for a sex act.
That last requirement might sound simple, but it could be effective. Polaris says that illicit-massage customers tend to be risk-averse, meaning without parlors they likely would not buy sex. Though sites like Rubmaps.com make their participation more inviting and safer, legal attention to parlors — including the warning signs — could discourage them from visiting.
Meanwhile, the Center's Dillefeld hopes further discouragement might come from education. If a customer realizes the impact of human trafficking, he might not feel so enthused to pay for a sex act.
"I don't think it's naive to think that," Dillefeld says. "I think these people could change their minds. I hope so."
PHIL LUCIANO is a Journal Star columnist. He can be reached at pluciano@pjstar.com, facebook.com/philluciano and (309) 686-3155. Follow him on Twitter.com/LucianoPhil.