Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) – Former Erie County District Legal professional John Flynn says in relation to suspected prostitution at spas like Little Foot Spa in Cheektowaga, his workplace didn’t examine intercourse crimes. He says, as a substitute, the main focus was on different issues.
“We by no means, in eight years, really had a intercourse crime investigation right here in Erie County that was prosecuted by my workplace,” defined Flynn in an interview with WBEN. “What the angle that we checked out and investigated, together with the federal authorities, was the labor regulation points of it, prosecuting somebody for potential labor violations, human trafficking.”
Flynn says there have been some circumstances involving therapeutic massage parlors, which concerned folks crossing state or nationwide traces. He says these varieties of circumstances occurred two or thrice a 12 months.
Investigating circumstances like that is difficult on numerous fronts.
“To begin with, there is a language barrier a variety of occasions, the place a variety of people who’re concerned in human trafficking, aren’t from this nation, and so they do not converse English very nicely,” Flynn defined.
One other challenge: Individuals do not need to cooperate with police.
“When you’re speaking about younger ladies, they’re scared,” Flynn mentioned. “They’ve been pressured into this nation and compelled right into a state of affairs that they do not need to be in, generally removed from house. They’re scared, and a variety of occasions, in my workplace, and my investigators and my legal professionals attempt to persuade or painting themselves as victims, say to them, ‘We’re not trying to prosecute you for a intercourse crime.’ We’re searching for those who’re the ringleaders, those who’re the human traffickers, those who could have introduced you into this nation illegally, or for an unlawful objective.”
Flynn calls two such investigations in a 12 months’s span a fluke.
“I do not bear in mind seeing specifically spas having an issue,” Flynn recalled.
He does recall a therapeutic massage parlor case early in his tenure, however once more, the main focus was on human trafficking and labor regulation violations.
