Willmar woman accused of running brothel in massage parlor, abusing employee - CBS Minnesota

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WILLMAR, Minn. — A 55-year-old Willmar woman is in custody accused of running a brothel in a massage parlor and abusing one of her employees.

According to charges filed Tuesday in Kandiyohi County, Ying He faces one felony count of soliciting or inducing someone to practice prostitution, a gross misdemeanor count of owning or operating a disorderly house and a misdemeanor count of fifth-degree assault.

The complaint says a police officer was dispatched Saturday to the 2400 block of First Street South in Willmar in response to a "911 call with a screaming female." The officer arrived and met with He, who the officer knew as being the owner of Massage Therapy, and the initial caller, who was inside the business sitting on the floor crying.

The woman told the officer that He punched her in the head and that He "treated her very badly," the complaint said. She said she had just flown to Minnesota from California in early March and had been living at the business ever since. She said the owner had confined her to a small room and controlled her movements, including eating and bathing.

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In a later interview, the woman told police that she was told to perform sexual acts on or for customers. When she refused, He would get mad, scold her and not allow her to leave the business, the complaint said.

Police later reviewed surveillance footage from inside the business. In the video, officers observed a male customer walking from one massage room to another. Meanwhile, He and the victim were in the hallway. At one point, He ran toward the victim and stopped in front of her. The male customer then ran out into the hallway in his underwear as though he had heard something, and then went back into the room.

After initially walking back to the customer's room, He walked back to the victim and struck her twice in the head, the complaint said. The victim could be seen getting out her cell phone before falling to the ground.

Officers then placed He under arrest.

In the execution of a search warrant, investigators recovered multiple cell phones and a couple ledgers. In one of the rooms, officers also found two sex toys, the complaint said.

If convicted, the prostitution charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $40,000 fine.

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Cole Premo

Cole Premo is a web producer at WCCO.com. For more than a decade, he's been covering breaking news and weather, daily topics, stories from the Native community and more in Minnesota.


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