Garland spa investigated for sex trafficking to close

A spa at a Garland mall that was investigated for human trafficking has been closed.

Sen Spa, also known as Relax Spa, has voluntarily closed in response to a state investigation, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation said Monday. Owner Nhon Tinh To also agreed to a lifetime ban from owning or operating massage parlors in Texas, the state agency said in a written statement.

According to the court order, investigators found supplies of condoms, women in “sexually provocative clothing” and numerous men during two separate visits to the spa on Belt Line Road.

The Dallas Morning News could not reach To on Monday and the company's number was no longer working. The agreement allowed To to neither admit nor deny allegations of human trafficking, the agency said.

During a visit in April, investigators found a fully stocked refrigerator, a pair of high heels, a suitcase and a coffee can full of condoms. One employee tried to hide from an investigator behind a door, the court agreement states. When she was found, she presented a New York driver's license as identification.

During a follow-up investigation in August, investigators found women's clothing, two wads of cash hidden in dirty laundry and a plastic bag of condoms. Two employees said they found the job postings online and had been working at the spa for about two weeks. Both had New York City driver's licenses.

The Sen Spa at 1238 Belt Line Road is located in a nondescript strip mall between a pizzeria, a pasta restaurant and a hair salon near an arcade.

Online, the spa's services are detailed on sexually oriented websites where customers leave anonymous reviews and ratings of the women's bodies. “This place is the real deal,” one customer wrote in March 2024, adding that he paid $150 for the full service, or intercourse, according to court documents.

In April 2024, a man leaving the spa admitted to a Garland police officer that he had visited the spa in hopes of obtaining sexual services and said he had paid an extra $50 for his massage.

Following the August inspection, the state imposed a six-month emergency closure. Under Texas law, the Licensing and Regulatory Commission can impose such an emergency closure if authorities suspect human trafficking.

State records show the spa first received its license in 2021. The owner is listed with a Philadelphia address.

The Sen Spa closure comes as another North Texas city is cracking down on prostitution in massage parlors. Plano city officials have sought court orders to investigate massage parlors they say serve as fronts for prostitution and human trafficking. One business, Tennyson Wellness Center, agreed to close earlier this year. Another business, Red Rose Spa, is currently under investigation.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). If it is an emergency or you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911 and notify authorities.

Complaints against businesses subject to the Licensing and Regulation Division, including massage therapists, can be filed online.