Prostitution arrest at West Longview massage parlor
Authorities say a multi-year investigation into suspected prostitution at a West Longview massage parlor culminated in an arrest Wednesday.
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Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office deputies booked Meirong Zou, 52, of Tualatin, Oregon, into jail at about 6 p.m. on suspicion of prostitution and second-degree promoting prostitution, jail records show.
A Thursday press release says the suspected prostitution occurred at Ocean Beach Spa, located at 4503 Ocean Beach Hwy., Suite 105, near Mary's Bar and Grill.
Zou's first appearance in Cowlitz County Superior Court was held Thursday afternoon, when she was released on her own recognizance, meaning she didn't have to post bail.
Zou, speaking through an interpreter, said she would hire her own attorney and has a hearing scheduled for May 7.
According to Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alysa Draper-Dehart, Zou is a citizen of China.
Nationwide, illicit massage parlors outnumber McDonald's restaurants. There are more than 16,800 in all, according to The Network, a nonprofit and leading authority on human trafficking.
The police report that led to Zou's arrest outlines the prevalence of illicit massage parlors across the country, but doesn't directly say whether Zou was lured to the U.S. and then trafficked by crime syndicates.
The women working at these parlors are often middle-aged migrants from China or South Korea who speak little English, according to Polaris, an anti-trafficking group that published a detailed report on illicit massage parlors in 2018.
Masseuse shows up in lingerie
A detective texted the West Longview spa on April 1 as part of an undercover operation, asking for sex, according to the sheriff's office press release.
The spa's windows are covered with posters, making it impossible to see inside, according to the police report The Daily News obtained in a records request.
Once at the appointment, Zou welcomed the detective in pink, silk lingerie. She tried to pull down the detective's underwear during the massage, but the detective stopped her, the notice states.
When blatantly asking if she takes money for sex, she nodded and said, "Next time," the press release continues.
At the next appointment on Wednesday, Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office personnel came with a search warrant.
Inside the spa, they report finding lingerie, lubricant and $593 in cash.
In Zou's nearby apartment, they report finding unboxed condoms and multiple beds.
Her vehicle included more condoms, lubricant and $3,700 in cash, according to the press release.
Reviews detail sex acts
The spa came under law enforcement's scrutiny in June 2023 after the sheriff's office received tips about suspected crimes.
Detectives surveilled the business and report seeing men stay inside the spa for 20-45 minutes, while women left immediately, as if they had been turned away.
Certain websites listed reviews that included the types of sex acts customers received at the spa, the notice states.
Detectives also found that the business phone number was linked to multiple escort websites soliciting sex for money.
Detectives report seeing Zou opening and closing the business, and one other woman on occasion.
The spa advertised two women on escort websites soliciting sex, but during the detective's appointment, Zou was alone.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information from a newly obtained public record. David Heath, Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism, contributed.
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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 6:18 PM.