Illicit massage businesses still ‘operating in plain sight,' N.H. police and nonprofit leaders say
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Meg Chant, a Coalition program director, said law enforcement had reported seeing more illicit massage businesses migrate over the state line after Massachusetts imposed stiffer penalties, so the change in New Hampshire aims to mitigate that.
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Looking ahead to the next legislative session, the Coalition will push again to reform licensing laws to improve oversight of massage businesses, an idea that has
'The way that it works right now is that, in New Hampshire, the individual massage therapists are licensed, but the business itself is not,' Chant said, 'so that leaves a gap where ultimately if there are any infractions, it's falling to the individual massage therapists — who, in these cases, are the victims — and it's very difficult for regulators to go in and do routine checks and get into these businesses to see if there are signs that it's not a legitimate business.'
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Chant said people need to recognize that these establishments have been identified in all 10 of New Hampshire's counties, and it's often easy to spot clues that a particular business might not be entirely aboveboard.
'In a lot of cases, it's pretty obvious,' she said.
If a massage business has unusual hours, covered windows, and patrons using a discreet entrance, those could be hints that something is amiss, Chant said.
'It's one of those things where often your instincts for just kind of feeling like this isn't quite right are probably spot on as a community member,' she said.
Chant said people who are being exploited may seem isolated, fearful, or controlled by someone else. That said, not all of them will immediately identify themselves as trafficking victims, so it's important to remain receptive to listening to and believing them, she added.
Landlords and residents who believe an illicit massage business may be operating on their property can contact the New Hampshire Department of Justice Anti-Trafficking Hotline at 603-271-9703.
For those seeking confidential help, the Coalition offers a round-the-clock support line for victims and survivors at 866-644-3574.
This story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday,
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Steven Porter can be reached at
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