Three adult women were identified as trafficking victims following a Foulk Road raid; advocates warn that exploitation also targets Delaware children online
WILMINGTON — The arrest of a massage business operator and two alleged customers in Brandywine Hundred is drawing attention to a crime that law enforcement officials and advocates say frequently remains hidden in plain sight.
New Castle County police announced Friday that 71-year-old Nan Son Yim of Flushing, New York, was arrested following a human trafficking investigation at Crystal Spa in the 1700 block of Foulk Road.
Detectives with the New Castle County Division of Police Drug and Human Trafficking Investigations Team began investigating suspected trafficking and illicit activity at the business in May, police said.
Officers executed a search warrant July 15 and encountered three women, ages 47, 54 and 56, whom investigators identified as victims of human trafficking. Police allege the women were forced to work 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, without proper compensation.
Detectives seized $15,975 in cash, bulk quantities of condoms and other items they said were consistent with the operation of an illicit massage business.
Yim was charged with three felony counts of human trafficking for forced labor, two felony counts of human trafficking for sexual servitude, one felony count of second-degree promoting prostitution and one felony count of second-degree conspiracy.
She was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution after failing to post $108,000 cash bail.
The charges are allegations. Yim is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Two men found inside the business were also arrested.
Police identified them as 78-year-old Thomas Hofer of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and 45-year-old Jesse Wasmer of Kingsville, Maryland. Each was charged with one misdemeanor count of attempting to commit patronizing a prostitute and released on his own recognizance.
Owner sought by police
Investigators identified the owner of Crystal Spa as 54-year-old Meilan Quan.
Police later searched Quan’s residence on Mallard Circle in Claymont and said they found additional evidence connecting her to the operation of the business.
Quan remained wanted Friday and is believed to have connections in Delaware and the Flushing, New York, area.
Police said Quan will face three felony counts of human trafficking for forced labor, two felony counts of human trafficking for sexual servitude, one felony count of second-degree promoting prostitution and one felony count of second-degree conspiracy if she is located.
All three women identified as victims were referred to the New Castle County Police Victim Services Unit for support and assistance.
The Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Delaware Department of Justice, Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council and Homeland Security Investigations assisted with the investigation.
A crime hidden in plain sight
Human trafficking does not necessarily involve kidnapping or transporting someone across state or national borders.
Trafficking occurs when a person is exploited through force, fraud or coercion for labor or commercial sex. Victims may be controlled through threats, withheld wages, debt, isolation, confiscated identification documents, language barriers or fear of law enforcement.
The crime can occur inside homes, hotels, restaurants, agricultural operations, construction businesses and massage establishments without being immediately visible to customers or neighboring businesses.
“Human trafficking is a hidden crime,” New Castle County Police Chief Col. James J. Leonard III said. “The New Castle County Division of Police remains committed to holding accountable those who exploit others while ensuring victims receive the support, resources and care they deserve.”
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said businesses allegedly supported by trafficking should not be viewed as harmless or victimless.
“The crimes committed by these illicit massage establishments are not victimless,” Jennings said. “They depend on exploiting a steady stream of trafficked individuals to keep their doors open, create a dangerous environment for all involved and act as a nuisance to the surrounding community.”
Advocates warn about risks to children
Although the three victims identified at Crystal Spa were adults, trafficking advocates warn that children and teenagers are also targeted in Delaware.
“Cases like this are deeply disturbing, but they are not rare,” said Marcia Ferranto, president of the Delaware Coalition for Human Trafficking Survivors, a statewide organization that supports trafficking survivors and advocates for systemic change.
“The numbers we see publicly are only a fraction of the young people who are exploited, groomed or at risk,” Ferranto said.
Traffickers no longer need to approach young people in person, she said. Online platforms allow predators to communicate directly with children while concealing their identities and intentions.
“They don’t need to be physically present anymore,” Ferranto said. “They reach kids through apps, games and social media. That’s why early education and community awareness are essential.”
Traffickers may initially offer friendship, attention, money, gifts, housing or emotional support. The relationship can gradually become controlling after the trafficker obtains personal information, photographs or other material that can be used to threaten or manipulate the victim.
Ferranto’s organization, formerly known as Meet Me at the Well Delaware, provides individualized support to trafficking survivors and advocates for improvements in Delaware’s social and judicial systems.
Delaware numbers show only identified cases
The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 32 trafficking cases involving 61 victims in Delaware during 2024, the most recent full year for which state-level figures are available.
Those cases included 19 involving sex trafficking, seven involving labor trafficking and six involving both sex and labor trafficking.
The identified victims included at least 18 adults and 11 minors. Demographic information was not available for every victim.
Since 2007, the hotline has identified 301 Delaware trafficking cases involving 662 victims.
Those figures do not measure the full prevalence of trafficking in Delaware. They reflect only cases reported to or identified by the hotline.
Advocates and law enforcement officials say fear, financial dependency, language barriers, immigration concerns and isolation can prevent victims from asking for help.
The Crystal Spa investigation illustrates why trafficking can be difficult to detect. The business operated along a heavily traveled commercial corridor surrounded by stores, offices, homes and legitimate service businesses.
To people passing by, there may have been little outward indication of what police now allege was happening inside.
Potential warning signs can include workers who appear fearful, cannot speak privately, live at their workplace, work unusually long hours, lack control of their identification or money, or appear to be closely monitored by another person.
Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
To Go Box
Delaware Coalition for Human Trafficking Survivors; Provides individualized support, advocacy and education for trafficking survivors and their families.
Phone: 302-250-5918
Email: [email protected]
Website: dcfhts.org
Address: 5181 W. Woodmill Road, Wilmington, DE 19808
Report information about Crystal Spa or Meilan Quan
Detective Raymond Townsend
302-395-3609
[email protected]
New Castle County Police Human Trafficking Hotline
302-395-2727
Available 24 hours a day
Delaware crisis services
Adults: 800-262-9800
Minors: 800-292-9582
888-373-7888
Text HELP to 233733
Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
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