The city of San Diego has filed a court petition to shut down an illicit massage parlor in Linda Vista, after a man said his masseuse sexually assaulted him.
The alleged sexual assault was the latest in a string of complaints of prostitution dating back to 2022 at the Comfy Spa on Linda Vista Road. In 2023, San Diego police received reports that female workers were allegedly being held against their will and were forced into prostitution.
Beginning in 2025, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office says police began conducting covert raids at the Linda Vista parlor.
During a February 2025 undercover operation, one vice officer says he paid $60 for a massage. While he was on the massage table, a woman entered the room in a short skirt and no underwear. The masseuse, according to the court petition, then “clinched her fist and thrusted her arms back and forth,” a sign that is, according to the petition, used to show customers they can pay for sex.
Following the sign, the officer asked how much she charged, and the woman responded, $140. Officers then entered the room and cited the woman for prostitution.
Police then sent Comfy Spa owners, Zheng Ping Hu, Taylor Grace, and Benjamin Ford, a warning letter after investigators discovered the spa was posting advertisements for sex online.
Between Dec. 25, 2025 and March 11, 2026, the city attorney’s office says the police documented more than 258 online advertisements, blogs and reviews mentioning prostitution at the Linda Vista business. Investigators also found evidence that women were living inside the parlor, a common practice in illicit parlors.
In February 2026, when a man visited the spa upon a recommendation from his wife. The court petition says that during his massage, the masseuse began to rub his genitals and placed his hand on her buttocks. The man told the woman to stop and left. He later called the police but did not file any formal charges.
In its petition, the city attorney’s office is using California’s Red Light Abatement Law to shut down properties used for prostitution or lewd conduct and to seek penalties against business and property owners.
“This case is about protecting our community and the vulnerable people who are exploited inside operations like this one,” said City Attorney Heather Ferbert in a statement.
The City Attorney’s Office is seeking civil penalties of up to $25,000 against the owners and up to $2,500 per day, per violation.
Times of San Diego attempted to reach Comfy Spa for comment, but the phone number was disconnected.
