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The woman taken into custody, 37-year-old Decibel Kim, told police she was a New Yorker but had identification with a Los Angeles, Calif., address.
She was handcuffed and detained in the waiting room area that contained a TV and closed-circuit television system aimed at vehicular and pedestrian traffic in front of the building and on persons walking up the steps.
Kim is facing charges of two counts each for criminal solicitation and prostitution. She will be arraigned today.
According to court documents, undercover officers visited the Magic Spa twice in January and paid $50 each time for a massage from "Meeko," who was clad in a red bra and panties on one of the visits.
On Thursday she was wearing pink-and-white-striped pajama bottoms and a multi-color tank top under a white cotton coat, white socks and slippers.
"The officer was instructed to disrobe and lie on the bed," Detective Lt. George Rhoades Jr. wrote in the affidavit. "While providing the massage (Kim) asked the officer if he wanted any other services while he was there and that she would make him feel real good, stating the price was $100 for full-service sex.
"She was identified by two undercover officers that solicited them for sex acts."
The 24-hour operation opened last month and spurred complaints by residents and legitimate entrepreneurs. The grand-opening ad promoted "magical relation," and a "lovely Asian staff" promising to "melt away tension" with promos depicting scantily clad women.
The business fronts on West Chester Pike and is across the street from a day-care center. It’s on the same street as St. Laurence Elementary School, Highland Park Elementary School and other day-care centers.
The bedding in the living quarters were inflatable mattresses on the floor.
The massage tables were constructed with 2-by-4s and plywood, and covered with mattresses and sheets, some with plastic pads. Rooms contained coat racks with robes on hangers and bottles of baby oil and baby lotion.
"The type of individual that patronizes this business may be prone to do something else," Rhoades said. "These people are patronizing prostitutes. We are concerned for the children. We can’t allow this in residential areas. We recovered more than $5,000 so they were obviously busier than we thought they were. We also seized lingerie and condoms, things you wouldn’t expect to find in an acupuncture and reflexology business. These are normal things you find in a brothel."
Police were accompanied to the site by Director of License and Inspection Jeffrey Gentile, who closed the business and provided police with the identity of the Newtown Square man who applied for the license.
A yellow transaction records book seized indicated there were two women working before the raid. They had four clients logged in at 10:50, 11 and 11:30 a.m., and 12:50 p.m.
