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SOUTH JORDAN — A Salt Lake man linked to a South Jordan massage parlor, who police say has numerous fake IDs, is facing numerous charges accusing him of helping to facilitate a commercial sex business.
Dongshun Zhang, 30, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Wednesday and charged Friday in 3rd District Court with engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony; plus five counts of exploiting prostitution and nine counts of forgery, third-degree felonies.
The investigation began in June 2023 when a person receiving a massage at a South Jordan massage parlor heard what sounded like sexual activity happening in an adjacent room and reported it to police, according to charging documents. The charges do not list the address of the business.
South Jordan police launched an investigation "which included surveillance, GPS monitoring, and an undercover operation," the charges state.
By January, officers served a search warrant at the business "in relation to an ongoing investigation into human trafficking/commercial sex operations occurring at the parlor," according to a police booking affidavit. While serving the warrant, Zhang drove up to the business. He claimed his girlfriend worked at the massage parlor and that "he would deliver snacks and food to that massage parlor and other parlors," according to the charges.
Police searched his car and reported finding seven cellphones in the center console. That's when the Utah Attorney General's Office was contacted for assistance in the investigation.
"Each of the phones were downloaded/searched by law enforcement agents. Multiple phones contained text message conversations with what appear to be commercial sex customers. These devices would send a menu of commercial sex services," a police affidavit states. "This device would then direct the customers to various hotels in the Salt Lake Valley to meet with a woman."
Charging documents further note that "one of the phones seized from Zhang ... contained a 'menu' of commercial sex services in the Notes app that was almost identical to the same services found on at least one of the commercial sex websites."
Investigators also reported finding ads on the phones that promoted women available for sex. Police said they were able to identify five clients who admitted to paying for sex acts.
Wednesday, officers served a search warrant on Zhang's Salt Lake apartment, seizing several more cellphones and laptops. Investigators also found "various bills/paperwork pertaining to massage parlors in the Salt Lake area" and "nine Utah driver's license cards with Zhang's photo ... each had (a) different name," the affidavit says.
Based on the evidence collected, investigators believe "Zhang was posting commercial sex advertisements and communicating with customers in order to facilitate the commercial sex transactions," the affidavit alleges. "Zhang appears to be operating/involved in a commercial sex network involving illegal massage parlors and commercial sex workers."
Investigators say Zhang is in the United States on an expired Visa. Prosecutors have requested that he be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail, noting that he "has significant connections to foreign jurisdictions and financial means to flee the jurisdiction. After agents executed a search warrant in January and seized cellphones and cash from (Zhang), (he) fled the state and agents were unable to locate him for months. It is the state's belief that (he) returned to Utah only after learning there hadn't been any charges filed. In addition, when (Zhang) was arrested, nine fraudulent driver's licenses were located with (his) picture but with different names and dates of birth," the charges state.
Correction: The Utah Attorney General's Office says Dongshun Zhang is "associated" with a South Jordan massage parlor. An earlier version incorrectly stated he was the owner.
