St. Joseph County health officials plan to present a proposal to tighten regulations on massage businesses in an effort to stop human trafficking.

The ordinance would allow inspectors to enter without warning during business hours, require a licensed massage therapist to be on-site with customers, ban people from living in the establishments, and mandate human trafficking awareness posters in multiple languages.

The proposal follows a 2022 investigation into four local massage parlors suspected of trafficking, sexual solicitation, and tax fraud.

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