As a result of an investigation into allegations of suspicious or inappropriate activities occurring at the “Red Stone Spa,” located at 585 Broadway in South Portland, the police department has issued letters to the owner and manager of the business, Lucy Louie and Lan Song Liu, respectively, both of New York, notifying them that they were in violation of both the city’s Massage Establishment/Massage Therapist regulatory ordinance, and the city’s Adult Use Establishment License ordinance (City of South Portland Code of Ordinances Chapter 14, Article XII).

According to Lt. Frank Clark of the South Portland Police Department, the owners were advised of both the regulations, and the application process, and were asked to immediately cease and desist from advertising, offering and providing massages without being properly licensed by the city to do so; and to immediately cease and desist from the operation of an Adult Use Establishment in that location of the city. Copies of the above letters, citing the violations, were also provided to the property owners of 585 Broadway, who are separately seeking removal of the business from that location.

Clark said the owner, Lucy Louie, 34, of New York, was issued civil summonses Aug. 23 to appear in Portland District Court on Oct. 16 for the following city ordinance violations:

• Operating an establishment that advertises, offers and provides massage services without a city license;

• Operating an Adult Use Establishment that advertises, offers and provides bathing (“Table Shower”) services and/or “rub-down” or other pseudo-massage services without being licensed under the ordinance; and

• Operation of an Adult Use Establishment within 1,000 feet of a public park or public school. It was determined that an Adult Use Establishment could not be licensed at the 585 Broadway location because the property is located 321 feet from Mahoney Middle School (a public school), 213 feet from Mill Creek Park (a public park) and 102 feet from the Greenbelt Walkway (a public park).

Clark said the purpose of these types of ordinances is generally to help the city distinguish between trained and experienced persons conducting legitimate business practices, such as massage therapy, from those persons without legitimate massage training or experience who may masquerade as massage therapists as a fac?ade for prostitution activities, to include the exchange of sexual contacts and/or sexual acts for money.

The Massage and Adult Use Establishment ordinances provide for fines of between $500 and $2,500 for each violation, Clark said.