WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Forced into Sex Slavery?

Forced into Sex Slavery?

Burlington, Vermont - November 18, 2009

Police arrested 49-year-old John Green two weeks ago after he allegedly sexually assaulted, choked and threatened to shoot a Korean woman employed as a masseuse at the Eunhwa Spa, a recently opened massage parlor on Battery Street in Burlington.

She told police she was assaulted by a tall man because she refused to perform sexual services for money.

But police say she had no idea who attacked her until the same man showed up at the spa Tuesday seeking another massage. Police arrived minutes later and arrested Green.

He denied a charge of aggravated sexual assault-- but that is not the only crime of concern for authorities.

"The allegation by the defendant is that in the police paperwork indicates he was paying for sex at this massage parlor. It's something that we're continuing to look into. The woman involved is a Korean national. Obviously this raises questions of human trafficking for us," Chittenden County Prosecutor T.J. Donovan said.

It was the same question five years ago when police busted massage parlors in Essex and Williston and arrested Korean and Chinese women who were working as prostitutes for the men who smuggled them into the U.S.

The county prosecutor at that time chose not to charge the women for prostitution. He said they were crime victims. Donovan says he'll have the same policy.

"I'm not concerned about prosecuting the women," Donovan said. "I'm concerned about prosecuting the men who abuse them and I'm concerned about prosecuting the people who bring them here illegally."

Police say they purposely did not ask the Korean victim in this case about her immigration status because they want her to cooperate in investigating the rape and any illegal immigrant trafficking.

"At a high level, we have an interest in protecting those who may be here illegally as a result of a larger criminal enterprise where someone's brought to the country, enslaved, or in some other way forced to work for someone or do things that they don't want to do," Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling said.

Any investigation into the immigration status of the spa employees, the owners and the services provided would be spearheaded by federal authorities.

But authorities say charges are rare because the women rarely cooperate, fearing deportation or harm to the families they left behind.

And as for John Green, for now he is being held on bail set at $50,000.

Brian Joyce - WCAX News