By Justin Story, Bowling Green Daily News

The owner of a Bowling Green massage parlor is suspected of using her business as a venue for illegal sex work.

Sun Furong, 51, of Bowling Green, was indicted Wednesday by a Warren County grand jury on a charge of promoting prostitution and is scheduled to appear Aug. 5 in Warren Circuit Court for arraignment.

Promoting prostitution is a Class D felony in Kentucky when a person is accused of controlling an enterprise involving prostitution activity by two or more sex workers.

The indictment alleges that Furong conducted the illegal business between Jan. 4 and April 24.

Furong was arrested in April by the Bowling Green Police Department following an investigation in which officers conducted surveillance at two businesses claiming to offer massage therapy.

City police said officers had received complaints from surrounding businesses about New Asian Massage, 1260 U.S. 31-W Bypass and Sun Foot Reflexology, 1901 Russellville Road.

According to prior testimony from BGPD Detective Jordan Tyree at an April preliminary hearing in Warren District Court, detectives observed Furong carry six large pieces of luggage out of New Asian Massage after police found ads online for the establishment depicting nude or partially nude women.

On Jan. 4, police conducted traffic stops of three men who had left the business.

“All the men advised they purchased sex acts from the business,” Tyree said at the preliminary hearing.

Similar online ads associated with Sun Foot Reflexology led police to conduct surveillance of that business in February, and detectives observed Furong also leaving the establishment.

Police also learned that Furong was listed in city paperwork as the owner of both businesses and that a number of transactions on a bank account belonging to her had been flagged, Tyree said at the April hearing.

On April 3, city police obtained a search warrant for both businesses.

When the warrant for New Asian Massage was executed, officers found three men in the business, two of whom were fully undressed, according to prior court testimony.

Tyree testified in April that three women were identified as possible participants in illegal sex work and were offered assistance in finding them a place to live and other aftercare through Barren River Area Safe Space.

“We interviewed one of the employees who said she did not know the city she was in and informed us she had been transported here from New York five days ago and slept at the business,” Tyree testified in April.

Police said that Furong claimed to be aware of the ads promoting her businesses that were placed on two websites known for hosting ads for commercial sex, that she called to have the ads removed and that they were placed there by a third party.

When police questioned Furong about allegations of clients paying for sexual favors, Furong said that some employees may develop a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with their clients, Tyree testified.