14 Arrested in Dalton Spa Raids Targeting Prostitution and Sex Trafficking
Dalton Police identified 14 people arrested after raiding seven massage parlours in Whitfield County, Georgia. Those arrested include a softball league director and a travelling evangelist.
Dalton Police Name 14 Suspects After Seven-Spa Raid in Whitfield County
Dalton Police have released the identities of 14 people arrested during a coordinated raid on seven massage parlours in Dalton and Whitfield County, Georgia, local3news.com reports. The operation, carried out on 22 September, targeted establishments suspected of facilitating prostitution and sex trafficking.
The investigation was triggered by a citizen complaint alleging that prostitution was taking place at the GQ Spa on Chattanooga Road. Over the following months, the Dalton Police Department, Whitfield County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) gathered evidence before executing search warrants simultaneously at 11:00am on the day of the raid.
All seven spas raided — GQ Spa, A Healthy Massage, Supreme Spa, Summer Massage, Spring Massage, Purity Massage and Royal Spa — will be permanently closed, authorities confirmed.
Charges Filed Across Multiple Locations
Arrests and charges spanned several of the raided premises. At GQ Spa, located at 2217 Chattanooga Road, multiple individuals face charges including keeping a place of prostitution, massaging in places of lewdness and licensure of massage therapist violations. Supreme Spa, Summer Massage and Purity Massage each yielded charges of keeping a place of prostitution, with additional licensure violations recorded at several locations. Spring Massage produced charges related to unlicensed massage practice.
Prominent Local Figures Among Those Arrested
Two arrests at GQ Spa drew particular attention. Garry Headrick of Dalton, Georgia, serves as the Tennessee and Georgia State Director for Premier Girls Fastpitch, a softball league, and previously worked with USA Softball of Georgia. He was charged with pandering and solicitation of sodomy.
Neil Sundblad of Cleveland, Tennessee, is a travelling evangelist and founder of Go Forth Ministries, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation. Sundblad was also arrested at GQ Spa and faces identical charges of pandering and solicitation of sodomy.
No Sex Trafficking Victims Identified
Dalton Police said all women working at the parlours were interviewed to determine whether any had been trafficked. As of the latest update, no sex trafficking victims have been identified at any of the locations.
Whitfield County officials stated the investigation remains ongoing. Investigators are continuing to collect evidence and conduct interviews. Law enforcement also indicated plans to work with county commissioners to establish an ordinance regulating new massage parlour licences, with the aim of preventing similar situations in future.
The GBI was deployed to the scene to provide additional manpower in support of the Dalton Police Department and the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)