Cobb County commissioners approve 6-month moratorium on health spa, massage parlor licenses [Video]

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – This week Cobb County commissioners unanimously voted to place a six-month moratorium on all applications for new health spa, or massage parlor, licenses.

Cobb Community Director Jessica Guinn is leading the charge behind the 180-day ban. She explained how individuals sometimes use the massage therapy profession to cover criminal acts.

“Often what happens is someone will get a state license, they’ll open a spa, get their business license and everything, but they’re actually a dummy, or a guise, for this entity that participates in sex trafficking,” Guinn said.

Guinn said over the last several months code inspectors and law enforcement have discovered several Cobb County spas that are not in compliance. Some are operating with unlicensed massage therapists. She couldn’t go into much detail about the investigations but said this is a statewide issue that the Secretary of State’s Office is also targeting.

“This …