Houston Massage Establishment Owner Agrees to Lifetime Ban from Industry Following Human Trafficking Allegations
The owner of a Houston massage establishment that was closed in late May by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) for suspected human trafficking has agreed to close all eight massage establishments he owns and to permanently exit the massage industry.
The TDLR issued an emergency closure order on May 30 against Hsin Wei Chen and Foot Reflexology Star. This was the first emergency closure ordered by TDLR under the authority granted by House Bill 3579, authored by Rep. Ben Bumgarner and sponsored by Sen. Phil King, and passed by the 88th Texas Legislature.
“This emergency closure and the resulting settlement order should be a signal to human traffickers that we now have the tools to root out these destructive crimes against vulnerable people,” said Courtney Arbour, TDLR executive director. “Multiple teams across TDLR worked together to accomplish this outcome, and we’ll continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to bring these crimes to light and take action.”
Under the new law, effective since September 1, 2023, TDLR’s executive director can issue an emergency order halting the operation of any massage establishment if there is a belief that human trafficking is occurring.
During a recent inspection, TDLR inspectors found reasonable cause to suspect human trafficking at the establishment located at 10801 Spring Cypress Road, Suite 12. Indicators typically associated with human trafficking were observed by an inspector. Chen had a prior enforcement case with TDLR involving similar conduct.
Following the emergency closure order, Chen signed a settlement agreement that revokes his massage therapist license and the licenses of the following establishments:
- Foot Reflexology Star, 10801 Spring Cypress Rd., Ste. 12, Houston
- Sunny Foot Massage, 10950 FM 1960 W., Ste. B, Houston
- L&P Massage LLC, 2808 Hwy 6 S., Ste. IA, Houston
- A Massage d/b/a A Reflexology Massage LLC, 2570 I-10 E, Beaumont
- Heavenly Massage LLC d/b/a Heavenly Massage, 12989 Bellaire Blvd, Ste. 7 A, Houston
- Everlasting Bliss d/b/a Heavenly Massage, 12989 Bellaire Blvd, Ste. 7 A, Houston
- Ivy Massage, 1780 N. Major Dr., Beaumont
- Ly Massage, 17802 W. Little York Rd., Ste. D, Houston
The settlement stipulates that Chen may not own or manage a massage establishment or work as a massage therapist or massage therapy instructor in Texas for the rest of his life. If Chen is found to be owning or operating a massage establishment or working as a massage therapist in Texas, TDLR could impose additional penalties against him.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring can contact the National Hotline for Human Trafficking at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). If the situation is an emergency or you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911 and alert the authorities.
You can also file a complaint on a TDLR-regulated business that you suspect may be participating in human trafficking.
