Prostitution charge brings 2 years’ probation

The owner of a north Columbia massage parlor pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to one count of attempting to promote prostitution.

Boone County Associate Circuit Judge Larry Bryson sentenced Karon Lynn Rowe, 58, to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, but suspended the sentence. Instead, Rowe will serve two years of unsupervised probation and must pay restitution.

Columbia police arrested Rowe after they served a search warrant at Lynn’s Massage, 3215 Rangeline St., last December. Two men at the business when police served the warrant admitted paying for sex at the massage parlor. One admitted to paying for sex 10 times at Lynn’s Massage over the last four years and said that two years ago, he paid to have sex with Rowe, court documents said. Rowe’s customers paid $40 when they entered the massage parlor, and the “girls” made tips, according to the documents.

Bryson reduced the charges from promoting prostitution to attempting to promote prostitution, but offered a word of warning to Rowe before she left.

“You would serve jail time if you come back,” Bryson told Rowe in court.

The business no longer maintains its Web site, which advertised a “businessman special fantasy” and “fantasy showers.”

At the time of her arrest, Rowe was in possession of cocaine, police said. Rowe was not charged in Boone County with possession of cocaine, according to Missouri Case.net.