Police and sheriff’s investigators have been working to shut down illegal massage parlors in Sacramento. Why? Some local massage parlors offer a bit more than just massage therapy. In these establishments customers can relieve their sexual tension for an extra fee.

What many call a “happy ending massage,” the law defines as “prostitution.”

Until recently, I was never aware such prostitution existed; I was appalled after learning that these “happy ending massages” are being provided in Sacramento County.

What constitutes a “happy ending massage?”

A little rub here and a little rub there in areas of the body we usually conceal in a public setting and maybe even an oral examination, if you get my drift.

Detective Michael Wright of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department said that businesses involved in such acts are shut down immediately after the department runs a series of investigations and undercover operations.

“Before we send in investigators to the locations, we look to see if there has been a series of verbal or online complaints regarding the business,” Wright said.

The investigations are run undercover without the necessity of a warrant. The detectives impersonate a client and look for obvious promiscuous behavior by the masseuse.

In 2005, the Sheriff’s Department, along with an array of professional massage therapy schools, joined forces and rewrote the Sacramento Ordinance regarding massage parlors.

I have never personally been inside an “illegal” massage parlor, but I believe it would go as follows.

After walking inside, you order a full body massage. The masseuse walks you into the room. After your body has nothing on but a towel, you’re asked to lose the towel and lie down.

She justifies losing the towel by saying, “a naked massage is far more enjoyable.”

Casual conversation, if there are no language barriers of course, takes place for the first 30 minutes. You begin to wonder why the masseuse’s hands tend to linger around sensitive areas.

“You seem relaxed, would you like a one-on-one, body-to-body service for a small fee?” the masseuse asks.

Do you say yes or no?

John Beck, who asked his real name not be used due to the nature of his activity, is a former client of an illegal massage parlor. Beck said the business is no longer operating. When Beck visited the establishment, he was asked to partake in sexual behavior by his masseuse for an extra charge.

An agreement was reached and Beck paid an extra $85 for “full service.”

What a cheap, appalling service.

Beck was taken to a back room and ended his visit with a “happy ending.”

When the word prostitution comes to mind, I think of Julia Roberts in her hit movie “Pretty Woman.” She played the lead role of a prostitute who fell in love with her rich client, Richard Gere.

But reality does not simply end with a “happy ending.”

If you’re looking to obtain a massage, research the business first to see if it has been involved in prostitution. It will help you avoid uncomfortable sexual offerings or worse.

Vanessa Guerrero can be reached at [email protected]