Eumemmerring massage parlour near a childcare centre allegedly operating as illegal brothel

A EUMEMMERRING massage parlour near a childcare centre is allegedly operating as an illegal brothel, according to a client.

A EUMEMMERRING massage parlour near a childcare centre is allegedly operating as an illegal brothel.

Oakleigh man Simon — who did not want his last name used — visited the parlour in February after hurting himself while gardening.

He said he was a ‘cheapskate’ and was attracted by the parlour’s low prices.

He told Leader the masseuse wouldn’t let him use a towel, leaving him in just his underwear.

He said she made a lewd hand gesture — which he took as an offer of sexual services — when she had finished the massage.

Simon declined the offer, paid the woman in cash, and did not receive a receipt.

He said he had complained to the City of Casey but had not heard back.

“It’s just not ethical to be honest, to have something running there in broad daylight and to have (a childcare centre nearby) is just not right,” he said.

Simon said he thought it was strange the shop did not have qualifications and licences on the walls like other massage centres, and that the woman who massaged him was dressed casually in shorts.

The parlour is listed on classifieds website Locato, next to explicit advertisements for sexual services, and is advertised as a ‘sensual-full-body-massage-with-super-hot-sexy-girl’.

The advertisement, which includes a price for ‘two girl’ massages but claims the parlour does not offer sexual services, includes a photograph of a young woman in her underwear.

Leader phoned the Business Licencing Authority and was told the address was not a licensed brothel.

City of Casey spokeswoman Bridget Cook said there was just one legal brothel in the municipality and illegal brothels were a police matter.

“Legal brothels require a planning permit,” she said.

“When assessing a permit application for a legal brothel, strict regulations and many factors must be taken into consideration, including if it’s an appropriate location.

Ms Cook said appropriate enforcement action would be taken if police provided the council with evidence of an illegal brothel in Casey.

Sue White the general manager of Inner South Community Health’s Resourcing Health and Education (RhED), which advocates for sex workers, called for decriminalisation of sex work.

Ms White said the current laws had created a ‘two-tiered’ system for sex workers.

Ms White said many sex workers feared being publicly exposed through the requirement to register with a government body.

“Consequently some sex workers have not registered and work outside the licencing system,” Ms White said.

“Decriminalisation will allow all workers in the sex industry the rights bestowed on all other workers — sex workers may have criminal records solely because of their work in the sex industry, which may lead to future discrimination.”

Victoria Police spokeswoman Sara-Jane Delaney said police had not received any complaints about illegal brothels in the area.