Candidates for Attorney General Say Oregon Can Do More to Curb Illicit Massage Parlors

Dan Rayfield and Will Lathrop had a lively exchange on the question.

Will Lathrop (Whitney McPhie)
By Aaron Mesh

In this week’s cover story, WW examined the steep increase in massage parlors that advertise sexual services. A nonprofit watchdog say many of the employees of what it terms illicit massage parlors are women trafficked from China who have little recourse to leave.

The illicit massage industry is growing all across the country. Data compiled by The Network, a Virginia-based nonprofit watchdog, shows a 9% compound annual growth rate nationwide. But that increase is much more dramatic in Oregon (27%) and Portland (25%).

The two candidates seeking to be Oregon’s next attorney general say state justice officials can play a role in curtailing that growth.

Shortly before WW published the story, Dan Rayfield, the Democratic Party nominee, and Will Lathrop, his Republican foe, dropped by the office to seek our endorsement. We asked them about sex trafficking at massage parlors—and the question sparked a lively exchange about how the Oregon Department of Justice fights sex trafficking. Watch the video below.

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