LAYTON — The owner of a Layton day spa made her first appearance in court last week on charges of running a prostitution operation.
Zehong Wang, 56, of Monterey Park, California, was charged in November in 2nd District Court with money laundering, a second-degree felony; exploiting prostitution, a third-degree felony; and sexual solicitation, a class B misdemeanor.
Wang ran the Golden Day Spa, which is now closed. Starting in September, after receiving a tip, undercover police officers posing as customers visited the spa. One officer was told a massage would be $45, "but that for a $40 tip it would be a 'happy massage,'" charging documents state.
Workers offered to touch the genitals of several undercover officers and perform sex acts for "tips," charges state. The officers refused.
Investigators later served a search warrant on Wang's apartment near the business and found "large amounts of cash and deposit slips of up to $8,500," according to court documents.
One of the female employees told detectives that she "was hired over the phone to come to Utah and work. She stated that she had only been in Utah for three weeks and that she would regularly perform sex acts as part of her work for (Wang) at the Golden Day Spa," charges state.
Police kept surveillance on the business for five weeks and observed men routinely visit the spa between 7 and 10 p.m., according to a search warrant filed in October.
Wang's next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 2.