When Bowling Green Police Department detectives investigating reports of illegal sex work executed a search warrant at New Asian Massage on U.S. 31-W Bypass, they encountered and arrested a woman standing over a nude man with lotion in her hands, a detective testified.

Arrest citations indicate that the woman did not cooperate with police, leading to her arrest on a misdemeanor charge of prostitution.

A second woman arrested as a result of the investigation, Sun Furong, 51, of Bowling Green, appeared Wednesday in Warren District Court for a preliminary hearing in her criminal case.

BGPD Detective Jordan Tyree testified at Wednesday’s hearing that Furong was identified as the owner of New Asian Massage and Sun Foot Reflexology on Russellville Road, which was also subject to investigation for allegations of illegal sex work.

Furong, who is charged with a felony count of promoting prostitution (two or more prostitutes) saw her case sent to a grand jury by Warren District Judge John Brown.

Tyree said that he began investigating New Asian Massage in January, with police finding ads online for the establishment that depicted nude or partially nude women.

Detectives conducting surveillance in January observed Furong carry six large pieces of luggage out of the business.

Police on Jan. 4 conducted traffic stops of three men who had left the business.

“All the men advised they purchased sex acts from the business,” Tyree said.

Similar online ads associated with Sun Foot Reflexology led police to conduct surveillance of that business in February, and observed Furong leaving the establishment.

Police also learned that Furong was listed in city paperwork as the owner of both businesses and that a number of transactions on a bank account belonging to her had been flagged, Tyree said.

City police obtained a search warrant for both businesses and executed them on April 3.

At New Asian Massage, three men were found in the business, two of them fully undressed, Tyree said.

Police reportedly found multiple medication bottles containing condoms on the site.

Tyree said that three women were identified as possible participants in illegal sex work and were offered assistance in finding them a place to live and other aftercare through Barren River Area Safe Space.

The one employee who declined assistance was arrested.

“We used our discretion and arrested one of the employees,” Tyree said. “We interviewed one of the employees who said she did not know the city she was in and informed us she had been transported here from New York five days ago and slept at the business.”

When questioned by police, Furong said she was aware of the ads for the businesses placed on two sites known for placing ads for commercial sex.

Tyree testified that Furong had called to have the ads removed, and that they were placed there by a third party.

The detective said that Furong was also questioned about allegations of clients paying for sexual favors from employees at each business.

“(Furong) said that some employees might develop a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with their clients,” Tyree said.

Furong’s attorney, Zanda Myers, questioned Tyree about whether the employees at the two businesses were independent or worked on a subcontractor basis.

Tyree said that Furong provided documents for the employees to sign that essentially held that whatever they did at the business “does not fall back on the business owner.”

When the arrests were announced last week, BGPD said the goal of the investigation was to identify and help potential victims of human trafficking.

Tyree said in court Wednesday that additional charges are possible.