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ST. GEORGE — The owner of two southern Utah massage parlors was charged Thursday with several sex offenses related to alleged conduct with employees there.
Charging documents accuse Brett Allan Labrum, 48, of Washington City, of trying to initiate sexual encounters with employees at two locations of Dixie Massage, both before and after he purchased the businesses last year.
Labrum is charged in 5th District Court with forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; four counts of massage practice license violations, a class A misdemeanor; plus five counts of sexual solicitation; and six counts of lewdness, class B misdemeanors.
Labrum's charges come about a month after a prostitution sting at five massage therapy parlors in Washington County resulted in the arrests of employees at five different businesses. Three women were charged with prostitution-related offenses for allegedly negotiating sexual favors for money with undercover police officers.
One of those women, Feng "Suzanne" Fang Li, 46, allegedly made such an offer on Dec. 13 at Dixie Massage in St. George. She was charged with a massage license violation and sexual solicitation, both misdemeanors. Her case is ongoing.
The massage parlor's other location is in Washington, Washington County. Labrum purchased both locations in September 2016, court documents say.
One Dixie Massage employee reported that Labrum initiated two unwanted sexual encounters with an employee last year, once before he bought the business and one time after he became the owner.
During the incident while he was a client, Labrum allegedly tried to get that employee to perform a sexual act on him. During the second incident, Labrum told the woman "he was going to teach her how to give a massage," and tried to touch her inappropriately and exposed himself to her, the charges state.
"(The woman) said she wanted to leave the massage room but felt she couldn't due to Labrum's position as the owner," according to the charges.
Court documents also allege Labrum scheduled client appointments on behalf of four employees while knowing they were not licensed to give massages.
"Labrum denied any knowledge of sex acts occurring in his establishment," the charges state.
