Thornlands woman Loh Yee Vorn, 40, busted for sex services at Royal Crown Massage parlour

A court has been assured no further sex services have been offered by a southeast Queensland massage parlour situated across the road from a state school.

A court has heard a massage business owner busted by a major crime squad across the road from a state school resorted to offering “head relief” to cope with COVID pressures after she became her family’s sole bread winner.

Malaysian national Loh Yee Vorn, 40, made a quick exit with the assistance of a supporter from Cleveland Magistrates Court today after she was fined $1,000 for offering prostitution services from her massage parlour.

The former Mount Gravatt, now Thornlands woman, pleaded guilty to one count of advertising prostitution as massage services.

Royal Crown Massage parlour in Thornlands was in December 2020 raided for illegal sex services. Picture: Marcel Baum.

The court heard an undercover law enforcement officer was on December 9 last year quoted $40 for a 30-minute massage with an option of paying an extra $50 for “head relief”.

Vorn was the owner and sole worker at Royal Crown Massage on Panorama Drive in Thornlands, according to the defence.

The court was told Vorn had moved to Australia in 2015 and opened the business, which still trades, in 2018.

A “significant time” closed due to the pandemic and a truck-driving husband out of work due to health complications, led Vorn to offer the extra services.

The defence assured that no sexual services had been offered at the venue since charges were laid.

The defence further submitted that “prostitution by itself” was not illegal and stated that their client was mostly at fault for her illegal advertising practise.

Loh Vorn makes a quick exit from Cleveland Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to advertising prostitution as massage service at her Thornlands massage parlour. Picture: Marcel Baum

Magistrate Deborah Vasta said illegal prostitution services were not victimless crimes as they take away from legal venues which must abide by stringent health and safety guidelines.

As the owner of the business Vorn was held to a higher standard than were she a mere employee and so was penalised with greater severity, the court heard.

Magistrate Vasta further stated that many businesses were hamstrung by the pandemic but did not resort to illegal practices.

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As a business owner since 2018 Vorn was warned that she ought to have been aware of what encompassed legal business practices.

The defence told the court that their client plans to close the massage parlour in October when its lease runs out.

Vorn, who also sends money to family overseas, was spared a conviction with none recorded.