Photo Courtesy of Google
The Nishu Salon and Spa is on 76th Street in Jackson Heights
By Forum Staff
A Queens grand jury has indicted a South Richmond Hill man for allegedly pushing a female spa worker to include oral sex, intercourse, and other sexual favors during the massages she gave clients at a Jackson Heights spa between May 2018 and February 2019, Chief Assistant District Attorney John Ryan, on behalf of Queens DA Richard Brown, announced on Friday.
Vajira Jayatunge, 50, was arraigned Friday morning on a 10-count indictment charging him with sex trafficking, third-degree promoting prostitution, forcible touching, and third-degree sexual abuse. Bail was set at $200,000 and Jayatunge was ordered to surrender his passport and return to court on May 1.
According to the charges, the 36-year-old victim was referred to the Nishu Salon and Spa for a job by an employment agency. She was hired in May 2018, and underwent training on how to perform massages by the manager, Jayatunge. During this training, the victim was ordered to remove all of her clothing and the defendant allegedly touched her breast, inner thigh and genitals during these how-to massages. The new worker was then induced into adding masturbation, oral sex, and sexual intercourse to the massages she performed on clients. Jayatunge allegedly kept all the money for these sex acts.
According to the charges, when the worker tried to stop trading sex for money as part of her spa employment, she began receiving threatening text messages; and when she spoke to Jayatunge about the messages, he allegedly threatened to tell her family that she had been engaging in prostitution acts, in addition to threatening her with deportation.
Last Thursday, police executed a court-authorized search warrant at the 76th Street spa, where approximately 12 women worked.
“This is sex trafficking and those who force women into prostitution will find themselves facing incarceration,” Ryan added.
If convicted, Jayatunge faces up to 25 years in prison.
