Judge Orders Downers Grove Spa to Remain Closed after Prostitution Activity

A Downers Grove spa accused of prostitution activity will remain closed after a recent DuPage County Court decision, village officials announced Thursday.

On July 11, Judge Robert G. Gibson upheld the decision of the village of Downers Grove to revoke the business license of King's Health Spa, 930 Ogden Ave., in November 2011 as a result of prostitution activity taking place on the premises, according to village spokesman Doug Kozlowski.

Police officers from Downers Grove and the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group (DuMeg) performed an undercover sting on both King's Health Spa and Ace Health Spa, 1911 Ogden Ave., on March 31, 2011.

In both cases, an undercover police officer posed as a customer seeking a therapeutic massage. When the employee offered to perform a sexual act, the employee was arrested and charged with prostitution. 

The sting resulted in two arrests—one at each spa—and prompted Village Manager David Fieldman to revoke both business licenses.

The owner of King's Health Spa, listed as Young Hwa Selvage of Downers Grove, appealed his license revocation in December 2011. 

In his ruling, Gibson ultimately concluded that "the evidence showed the employee engaged in a sophisticated prostitution operation and that the village was within its rights to revoke King's business license based on the illegal activity," Kozlowski said.

In the case of Ace Health Spa, DuPage County Judge Terrence Sheen upheld the village's determination that an employee of that establishment had engaged in an act of prostitution. However, he also concluded that the penalty of license revocation was too harsh, and ordered the village to impose an alternative penalty.

Downers Grove officials said they will continue to closely monitor massage establishments and vigorously enforce laws and regulations.

“Storefront prostitution operations masquerading as therapeutic massage facilities are illegal, degrading to the neighborhood and are inconsistent with the values of this village. They also diminish the reputation of legitimate, professional therapeutic massage facilities," Downers Grove Mayor Martin Tully said in a statement.

"The village council and I are gratified that Judge Gibson took a common sense approach in reviewing the record, seeing this operation for what it was, and upholding the local authority to regulate these businesses and uphold the law," Tully said.