Two Individuals Arrested on Charges of Sex Trafficking
DULUTH, Minn. – After a year-and-a-half long investigation the Duluth Police Department Sex Crimes unit says they have arrested two individuals on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
According to the Duluth Police Department 49-year-old Shuangyan Yang and 59-year-old Matthew Shykes were arrested on Thursday, March 21.
Yang and Shykes are owners of the Shuangyan’s Spa along with Better Massage in Duluth and Soothing Massage in Superior.
The Duluth Police Department began their investigation in the fall of 2017 which was prompted by several tops and intelligence from concerned community members.
“Trafficking of people for the purpose of sexual exploitation and labor is a globally recognized problem affecting millions of people of all ages, races, and gender identities,” stated Mayor Emily Larson. “It is happening around the country, and it is happening here in Duluth. It is why we have made this a priority, and it is why we partner with organizations such as PAVSA and why we work so hard to put the people impacted by this industry at the center of what we do so that we can do right by them. I’m continually proud of the work our City and our community does in naming these serious and complex issues and taking tangible steps to work together as a community to help solve them.”
“This successful outcome would not have been possible without our law enforcement partnerships,” stated Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken. “Sex Trafficking is not a crime that happens somewhere else to people we don’t know. Sex Trafficking happens in our community and our department is dedicating the resources to hold sex traffickers and sex buyers accountable. Most importantly, we work to free victims from the sex trade, educate our community of the signs to look for and empower them to report it when they see it. In many cases, women are the victims of sexual exploitation. One sure way to rid our community of sexual exploitation and trafficking is to eliminate the demand. We all need to work to ensure the men and boys in our lives respect the dignity of everywoman and pledge not to buy it and to stand tall in opposition to it.”
Other agencies involved in the success of this investigation include the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Human Trafficking Task Force, East Metro Trafficking Task Force, the IRS, St. Louis County Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security, FBI, Hermantown Police Department, Superior Police Department, Douglas County and St. Louis County Sheriff.
