Kansas massage parlor owner sentenced on federal prostitution charge

WICHITA, Kan. — A Wichita massage parlor owner was sentenced Wednesday to10 months’ time-served for trying to recruit a Chinese-speaking woman to perform sexual services at her business.

Ping Liu, 44, of Wichita, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement to prostitution. Liu was also ordered to serve five years’ probation.

In her plea, she admitted that during a phone conversation conducted in Mandarin Chinese she arranged for a woman posing as a job applicant from New York to come to Wichita to work at Q Massage, 3833 W. 13th in Wichita. Liu told the applicant that the job included providing sexual services to customers. Liu told the applicant she would pick her up at the airport in Wichita.

In her plea, Liu also admitted twice offering to perform sexual services for undercover Wichita police officers who came to the massage parlor posing as customers.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.