Steps from Preston Road in Plano, among pharmacies, doctor’s offices and even a daycare, there’s a business that Plano police say appears to blend in with legitimate healthcare providers but is “little more than a front for criminal activity.”
“Families are walking by and kids are seeing this and they may not know what's going on immediately but their parents do and it's very unsafe for everybody in the neighborhood,” said Plano Police public information officer Jennifer Chapman.
Tennyson Wellness Center has been in business for 11 years, according to its owner.
It offers massage therapy and police say much more.
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“Alleged sexual acts, they have reviews of the girls and they're very, they're inappropriate,” said Chapman.
They’re “like twisted Yelp reviews,” the city says, where women are given service ratings.
Ads for the business, police say, show salacious images of scantily clad employees in provocative poses.
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“It’s just not ok and we're not ok with that and we're not going to allow this to continue,” said Chapman.
Earlier this year, two Tennyson Wellness Center workers were arrested and charged with prostitution and indecent assault.
Now, the city is pursuing potential civil action.
“We have an expectation when we go after them criminally that they're going to stop what they're doing and become a legitimate business, unfortunately, that did not occur,” said Chapman.
Monday, the city filed a petition for pre-suit discovery asking a judge to allow the city to investigate its claims to decide whether to sue people like the landlords, employees, customers, and owner which NBC 5 contacted.
The owner of Tennyson Wellness Center said by phone that her employees are to blame. She said they all sign agreements when they're hired agreeing to not offer sex acts at work. She says employees “made mistakes.”
The center's owner didn't comment directly on the petition but could soon be forced by a court to answer questions.
Earlier this year, police made arrests at seven other massage parlors in Plano.
The city says it will not hesitate to take similar action against other businesses engaging in illicit activities.
