Women working at massage spa arrested on prostitution charges

Two women working at a massage spa in LeClaire were arrested Tuesday for allegedly offering sexual favors for money to undercover agents of the Scott County Sheriff's Special Operations Unit, authorities said.

Xuemei Wu, 45, of Weston, Florida, and Yalan Chen, 53, of San Jose, California, each are facing one count of prostitution. The charge is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of two years.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriff's deputy Zachary Ahrens, the Scott County Sheriff's Special Operations Unit was conducting an undercover operation at KT Rose Spa at 1007 Canal Shore Dr. SW in LeClaire after receiving complaints of sexual favors being offered during or after massages.

An agent acting undercover went to the business Tuesday and met with Wu, telling her he wanted a half-hour massage. During the massage, Wu asked the agent if he wished to perform sexual acts with her and her co-worker, Chen. Wu then gave a price for the acts to occur.

During post-Miranda interviews, Chen denied any involvement in the business and stated she did not give any massages, and was purely here for "fun," according to the affidavit. Chen could not elaborate on what that meant, according to the affidavits.

A confidential source, however, positively identified Chen as someone who had offered them sexual favors during a previous incident.

Wu did not wish to speak with agents.

A search warrant was obtained for the premises. In his affidavit, Ahrens said it was apparent that Wu and Chen were living within the premises.

Both Wu and Chen were arrested. Each was released from the Scott County Jail after posting a $2,000 cash bond.

A preliminary hearing on their charges will be scheduled in district court.

Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.