You know you’ve seen them. The ads in the book of alternative weekly newspapers advertising “massage parlors” and “Modeling studios.”
What I’m curious about is how these places avoid getting busted by the cops. Yes, I’m sure the proprietor (and the advertising execs at said newspapers) will tell you that any money that exchanges hands is strictly for “massage” or “modeling” or whatever else they claim to be selling and that anything else that might occur is simply a private matter between two consenting adults. But we all know what really goes on, and the vice cops certainly aren’t dumb.
For the record, I’m all for the decriminization of prostitution. But since it is currently illegal, you’d figure these ad sections would be a treasure trove for the cops and they’d be busting these places left and right.
They are. This place has changed its name three times in 10 years and has been raided at least three times to my knowledge.
The cops in the municipalities where these places thrive don’t give a shit and have decided at a high level of management that going after these sorts of places are a very low priority for them. As long as the neighbors aren’t complaining, they are going to worry about other things.
If your local TV stations need a ratings boost they will probably do stories on these places. But I agree that the cops mostly don’t care, they have other crimes to worry about.
I wouldn’t say left and right, but they do bust them pretty frequently. Different towns have different enforcement priorities. And, depending on the jurisdiction, the evidence-gathering process can get . . . embarrassing.
http://www.journal-topics.com/mp/08/mp081112.3.html
Of course, it’s harder to make a case against the proprietor, so they don’t get shut down right away.
Modeling studios? Really? Or did you mean escort services?
Like this:
NSFW----> [noparse]Backpage Seizure <------NSFW
Wow, I’d never heard of such a thing.
'He’s not just your moderator, he’s also a customer!" 
I do declare there were times* when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there.
*Well past the statute of limitations. And it was research, dammit.
Alternative weeklies? You mean like the owners of this place?
I hope they don’t let Ed get near the classifieds - this joint will go bankrupt in a day.
Goodness, who would want to “leave Dissappointed!!!”
Keep in mind there’s a legal standard that needs to apply. It’s not enough just to “know” that crimes are being committed. The police have to have actual evidence of a specific criminal act.
Another example is Craigslist, they have been under the national scrutiny of law enforcement for years for allowing so many ads for prostitutes. Even without pretending to be a modeling agency or massage parlor - they just outright advertise their ‘services’ including price and location and very specific descriptions of their special qualifications - there is just no way that police can investigate every one of millions of advertisements. But they do pick a select few for “undercover” investigations. And they also post ads pretending to be prostitutes and arrest the interested clients who respond. Like most prohibitions, trying to enforce laws against an activity in which a huge, possibly a majority, percent of the population wishes to engage is a lost cause. It opens doors for criminals and corrupt law enforcement. IMHO the solution is to legalize prostitution and regulate it, tax it, use some of the money to offer programs and services for those who wish to learn a different trade.