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2 Arrested, Charged With Running Prostitution Businesses in Springfield, Massachusetts

Authorities have arrested two people they say ran a pair of Springfield massage parlors that were really fronts for prostitution.

Sixty-five-year-old Steven Forsley, of Bernardston, and 61-year-old Liu Yang, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges including trafficking of persons for sexual servitude and money laundering. Both were held on $20,000 bail.

They were arrested Tuesday following a more than six-month investigation.

Prosecutors say the businesses had an entirely male clientele and were staffed by young Asian women who slept on site and "rarely, if ever'' left without being accompanied by Yang.

Yang's attorney sought lower bail saying there is "scant'' evidence to support the charges.

Forsley's lawyer also asked for lower bail, saying his client is a veteran with no criminal record and is not a flight risk.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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