A Missoula couple operating a local massage parlor face a slew of human trafficking charges following accusations that they were running a commercial sex business at their building near Blue Mountain Road. Court filings show that Yanbin Bao, 52, is charged with six felonies: three counts of promoting prostitution involving a victim of human trafficking, and three counts of trafficking of persons.
Richard R. Bushey, 64, is also charged with six felonies: three counts of promoting prostitution involving a victim of human trafficking, and three counts of trafficking of persons. The two suspects will enter pleas to the charges at their arraignment on June 6 in Missoula County District Court. Affidavits for Bao and Bushey filed on Wednesday lay out the case. The caller was a woman who only spoke Mandarin. She was transported to a local hospital to speak with a translator.
When deputies investigated the parlor, they reported seeing a sleeping area, a cooking and eating space, a makeshift closet with clothes and a TV, and a security camera on the wall. Conditions were unsanitary with dirty linens and floors, according to the affidavit. According to the affidavit, the witness reported there were two other women working at Soul Massage who had sex with customers on a regular basis.
She estimated seven to 11 men were serviced daily, with some repeat customers visiting every two or three days, the affidavit stated.
The witness arrived in Missoula on April 26, , according to court documents. The survivor identified the woman she was in contact with as Bao, according to the affidavit, and said Bao and Bushey were married. Detectives recognize WeChat as a social networking app used to recruit trafficking victims with promises of work and housing. The accuser told investigators Bao gave her lessons on massage techniques and how to perform sexual acts on customers.
