The City of Bloomington is proposing new regulations for massage parlors and adult entertainment venues amid reports that some operating in the city are not legitimate businesses.
The city council is scheduled to vote Monday on a plan to charge a $250 annual licensing fee for these establishments, in addition to a $100 application fee. The city would also charge what it’s calling an investigation fee to pay for business inspections to ensure they remain in compliance.
City officials say some of these types of businesses in Bloomington and elsewhere in Illinois are engaging in illegal sexual activity and in some cases human trafficking.
“The issue of human trafficking is certainly out there and it’s one of the things that have come to the areas we call home ourselves,” Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said during a recent WGLT interview.
According to the proposed ordinance, city staff consulted with social service agencies and local law enforcement and determined that some individuals and businesses claiming to be engaged in bodywork are not licensed massage therapists or “legitimate practitioners.”
“The City Council believes that the changes proposed in this ordinance will help prevent businesses falsely claiming to offer legitimate bodywork from being used for unlawful sexual conduct, while still protecting genuine, law-abiding practitioners of bodywork and massage therapy services,” the draft ordinance reads.
Owners and managers of these businesses would also have to disclose to the city whether supervisors or anyone performing a message or other type of bodywork has a criminal record, aside from minor traffic violations.
State Police and Normal Police reported a human trafficking victim at a local massage spa in April.
ISP also announced a sting operation in the Bloomington area in January which netted six arrests tied to sex trafficking.
Bloomington Police tell WGLT their department has not had a human trafficking arrest since 2020.
Human trafficking is referenced in the new BNthesolution.com website which Bloomington and Town of Normal created largely to help direct community resources to the community’s unhoused population. The site defines human trafficking, lists possible indicators and indicated the panhandlers may be victims of human trafficking.
The city has also implemented staff training on human trafficking, according to documents prepared for the city council.
