BOZEMAN — A woman in Belgrade was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 for allegedly running a prostitution business out of her spa.
Ok Son Hale, 69, was arraigned in Gallatin County Justice Court on Wednesday on a sex trafficking charge.
According to court documents, deputies with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a weapons disturbance report at the Bamboo Spa in Belgrade on Friday, Jan. 12 around 5:40 p.m.
Deputies located and detained Hale on the basis of the weapons disturbance complaint.
Court documents say that while deputies were at the scene, they spoke with a woman who said she gave massages at the spa. The woman said Hale provided her with condoms and lubricant to perform sexual acts on clients. She reportedly also showed deputies a handful of “unpackaged and unused condoms” from a storage container in her room.
Hale was arrested for assault with a weapon for allegedly threatening with a knife the woman deputies spoke to.
On Monday, detectives conducted a follow-up interview with the woman who worked at the spa. She reportedly said that Hale instructed her to massage clients and provide them with requested sexual services, up to and including sexual intercourse.
The victim told detectives she had last performed a sexual act on a client on Wednesday or Thursday the week before. According to court documents, the victim said she told Hale she didn’t want to do it, but Hale kept telling her to.
Detectives conducted a mirandized interview with Hale on Tuesday at the Gallatin County Detention Center. She reportedly confirmed that the victim was an employee who only saw male customers.
Court documents say Hale denied directing the victim to perform sexual acts as part of massage services. She allegedly brought up erotic/exotic massages during the interview but said she didn’t know what it meant.
Based on the evidence and interviews, Hale was arrested on the sex trafficking charge.
In Justice Court on Wednesday, prosecutors said Hale was charged previously in New Jersey with sex crimes, but those charges did not result in a conviction.
Hale’s bail was set at $100,000. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2024.
