ROCKLAND — A Gardiner man has been arrested on a sex trafficking charge following a months-long investigation into alleged human trafficking and organized crime linked to a Rockland massage parlor, police said.
Tian Tao, 54, was taken into custody Thursday by Rockland police detectives with assistance from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Gardiner Police Department and U.S. Homeland Security, authorities said Friday.
The investigation began in July when Rockland police received information from Lincoln County law enforcement regarding suspected sexual acts being performed for money at a massage parlor that had relocated from Waldoboro to Rockland.
Detectives investigated and found possible ties between the business, known as “Asian Massage,” and organized crime and human trafficking out of New York, police said.
Officers conducted physical and electronic surveillance, interviewed patrons and executed a search warrant on discarded materials.
A search warrant was carried out at the massage parlor in December, during which multiple individuals were interviewed and evidence was seized.
Some of that evidence is still being analyzed by federal authorities.
The establishment is no longer operating in Rockland, but police suspect similar locations remain active elsewhere in the state.
As part of the investigation, police have charged 11 men with engaging a person for prostitution, including residents from Rockland, Owls Head, Thomaston, Lincolnville, Cushing, Rockport, South Thomaston, Palermo and Washington.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are expected.
