COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The investigation into a Pickerington massage parlor is ongoing. Investigators say Massage Experts is suspected as operating as an illegal front for human trafficking and other crimes. Several agencies raided the business Tuesday morning.

“We’re not done in central Ohio, not across the rest of the state. We’re going to keep on working this and other operations and go after the people that traffic other human beings,” Ohio Attorney General David Yost said.

The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force is one of the agencies which has been working on the case involving Massage Experts. The task force is part of the attorney general’s office.

Yost could not comment on the specifics of that case since the investigation is ongoing but discussed the prevalence of human trafficking in Ohio.

“It happens in the rich part of town as well as poor parts of town and the bottom line is we’ve got task forces working on human trafficking across the state, and my message is don’t buy sex in Ohio,” he said.

Salvation Army Central Ohio is one of the organizations which helps those being exploited through human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is definitely present and prevalent here in central Ohio and in the state and it’s difficult to determine areas of the state or around the country where the incidents may be greater or lesser,” said Michelle Hannan, anti-human trafficking director at Salvation Army Central Ohio. “But we know we have a significant situation here in central Ohio.”

According to Salvation Army, the organization helped 511 people get out of trafficking situations in 2022.

“It is really hiding in plain sight all the time,” Hannan said. “It’s difficult in some ways to just kind of do a visual scan of a situation but really to have further conversation with someone is a great way to find out if they are safe in the situation or if someone is exploiting them or threatening them.”

Hannan said other signs of human trafficking can be if someone is not in control of the ability to come and go from a situation on their own and not being allowed to speak for themselves. She also said every situation is different, but signs of domestic violence could also be an indicator.

“It’s really the skies kind of the limit in terms of the different ways we’ve seen people be exploited,” Hannan said.

Salvation Army also does outreach and drop-in programming. The 24/7 hotline is 888-373-7888. People can also text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE).