Illicit Massage Businesses Still 'Operating in Plain Sight,' N.H. Police and Nonprofit Leaders Say

The Coalition notched a legislative victory on this topic last month, when lawmakers approved a plan to impose felony penalties on landlords and other people who “knowingly” allow a place under their control to be used for prostitution.

Meg Chant, a Coalition program director, said law enforcement had reported seeing more illicit massage businesses migrate over the state line after Massachusetts imposed stiffer penalties, so the change in New Hampshire aims to mitigate that.

Looking ahead to the next legislative session, the Coalition will push again to reform licensing laws to improve oversight of massage businesses, an idea that has faltered repeatedly in past sessions.
​
“The way that it works right now is that, in New Hampshire, the individual massage therapists are licensed, but the business itself is not,” Chant said, “so that leaves a gap where ultimately if there are any infractions, it’s falling to the individual massage therapists — who, in these cases, are the victims — and it’s very difficult for regulators to go in and do routine checks and get into these businesses to see if there are signs that it’s not a legitimate business.”

Boston Globe
July 11, 2025

Read Full Article