Woman accused of running prostitution house at Moncks Corner spa

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - A Berkeley County woman has been charged with running a prostitution house at a Moncks Corner spa.

Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division arrested 49-year-old Hong Song Wang on Monday. Wang is charged with keeping a house of ill fame or brothel.

According to court affidavits, in November 2018, Moncks Corner Police received a complaint that the Wenxin Day Spa and Massage on North Live Oak Drive was offering sexual services to its customers.

Court papers state SLED opened an investigation that included surveillance, an undercover buy operation and searching the business.

According to the affidavit, in December 2018, SLED agents and Moncks Corner Police searched the trash from the spa and found evidence that included samples of what was believed to be bodily fluids.

“These items located together at the business indicated illicit activity that otherwise would not be located in the trash of a legitimate massage business,” the affidavit states.

Investigators say in January of this year, paperwork was filed to change the name of the business to Pearl Spa, but agents say Wang was still in control of the business.

The warrant states that in August of this year, an undercover SLED agent brought a recording device into the spa and negotiated a sexual act with a massage employee.

The agent was told to return in 30 minutes because the employee needed to finish another customer first.

According to court papers, in November of this year, investigators searched a website where sex buyers post reviews about sexual services provided at massage parlors. Several reviews indicated that customers at the spa received illicit sexual services during their massages.

In November, agents issued a search warrant at the spa and found credit card receipts showed that at times customers tipped disproportionately. According to the affidavit, investigators believe those tips were for sexual services.

SLED agents interviewed Wang who claimed she owned the spa up until three days before the business was searched.

She claimed she sold it, however, investigators say no reports of a business sale were reported to the state, Berkeley County or Town of Moncks Corner.

The affidavit states paperwork was filed with the Moncks Corner Business Licensing Office on Jan. 8, 2019, indicating a desire to change the name of the business from Wenxin to Pearl Spa. That paperwork was filed with a new owner, the document states.

The South Carolina Board of Massage Therapy states Wang is a licensed massage/bodywork therapist who was first issued a license in March 2014. Her license is currently active, the agency says, and expires in June 2020. They say no actions have been taken on her license in the past.

Copyright 2019 WCSC. All rights reserved.