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"There is no evidence to support this anonymous letter claiming that these businesses are in any way involved in forced sex slavery or illegal drug sales," said Lt. Brenda Cambra, of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
The letter was distributed Friday to community members, media outlets and local churches.
It includes a list of massage businesses far longer, though perhaps less accurate, than an official list kept by the county. The anonymous letter's list shows 61 Santa Clarita-area massage businesses, but it counted many of them two or even three times.
Current county records show 31 unique massage or spa businesses locally.
The letter, dated March 11, begins with the statement: "You are holding in your hands proof of a major scandal in the city of Santa Clarita!"
It goes on to say the scandal involves "vast international sex slavery," drug dealing, cover-ups and "Sheriff Department solutions to the crisis stopped by ‘politics' in a City Council election year."
The letter attributes all of its accusations to an unnamed "impeccable source."
"This information is NOT being sent to you by any incumbent or challenger candidate, or by anyone associated in any way directly or indirectly with any City Council campaign," it says.
The City Council election is April 13.
Two years of investigation
It was more than two years ago, Cambra said, when her department noted a number of massage businesses opening in the Santa Clarita Valley and began an investigation into the situation.
"We were receiving numerous complaints from people that suggested something illegal was happening," she said.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station began inspecting massage businesses early in 2008. Joining in the inspections were regulatory agencies such as the county's licensing bureaus, the state Labor Department and the sheriff's vice bureau.
The vice unit has since conducted 15 operations resulting in 11 prostitution arrests of massage business owners and employees, Cambra said.
It was unclear whether any resulted in convictions.
"(Massage businesses) have been inspected for licensing issues. We are still working hand-in-hand with the county licensing bureau to ensure that the businesses are complying with local ordinances," Cambra said.
Nearby Lancaster also works with sheriff's officials and several other agencies to inspect and close illegal massage establishments.
A total of 67 code enforcement violation cases were closed in 2009, a 22 percent drop in services offered by a combination of massage establishments and independent businesses, according to the city's Web site.
Violations uncovered included prostitution, Worker's Compensation insurance fraud, unlicensed massage therapists, money laundering, illegal occupancy, as well as other violations of the Lancaster Municipal Code.
In 2009, multiple inspections and undercover stings led to nine massage therapists being arrested for prostitution.
Regarded with suspicion
Jack Kyser, founding economist of the Kyser Center for Economic Research at Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said it's hard to track massage parlors.
"A lot of cities are nervous about massage parlors because they are considered to be a front for illicit activities. That's why they try to limit the number that open up in any city," Kyser said.
However, strip mall owners who have seen small business after small business close down may find them attractive tenants, since they do "have a fair business base," he said.
"If you have a lot of strip retail centers, that's become hard to lease, and if you are a landlord and someone comes to you wanting to rent, you'd probably be happy to take their money."
