A Penacook, N.H., man who told police he had been purchasing sexual services at a Concord spa was arrested four months after the business was shut down for suspected human trafficking and prostitution.
Brian Soule, 66, admitted during a July 30 police interview that he had been a regular customer at Oriental Bodywork Spa on North State Street for four and a half years, according to court documents. He told investigators he visited not only for massages but also for discreet sexual services, describing how he would be escorted to a massage room, undress, and then receive what he desired.
Police first learned of Soule’s involvement when they saw him leaving the spa, located across the street from the New Hampshire state prison, as officers executed search warrants there on July 30.
Soule was arrested on Dec. 3 and charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution and related offenses.
Since last November, the New Hampshire Department of Justice—working with local police and federal partners—has closed more than 15 illicit massage businesses as part of a targeted crackdown on operations that act as fronts for human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
Officials have said the campaign will also go after those who purchase sex as well.
“If you are buying sex at these businesses, you are funding human trafficking. You are part of the problem—and we will hold you accountable,” said Attorney General John Formella in a statement in early July.
In Concord, police arrested two women who worked at the spa, but none of the men.
Soule’s arrest is the first known case of a client being charged in connection with the Oriental Bodywork Spa investigation.
“Accountability for buyers is an important part of reducing the demand that drives human trafficking,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, the director of public affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. “When those who purchase sex face consequences, traffickers have fewer opportunities to exploit vulnerable people.”
Soule told investigators he viewed what happened in the massage rooms as a “two-way street,” according to court documents. He said he would pay $70 in cash upfront and, while he initially tipped $80, those gratuities eventually rose to $140.
Over the years, he frequented the business, developing a familiar routine and often calling ahead to request a specific employee.
After the interview in the parking lot, Soule went on to “blow a kiss” to female employees as he drove away, according to a detective who detailed the incident.
Soule was released on bail and is set to be arraigned at the Concord District Court on Jan 26 at 8:15 a.m.
The search warrants executed at the spa led to the arrests of two female employees on sexual misdemeanor charges, but those charges have since been dropped. Advocates against human trafficking said that victims of trafficking are often mistakenly treated as criminals instead of being recognized as survivors of exploitation.
“This arrest also serves as a reminder that best practice is to focus enforcement on buyers and traffickers,” Grady Sexton said. “The Coalition remains committed to promoting responses that recognize exploited individuals as victims and ensure they receive safety, dignity, and meaningful support.”
