GIRLS GONE WILD LEADS TO MORE ARRESTS IN AKRON

Girls Gone Wild case pleads guilty to running illicit Akron massage parlor

Police raided Simply Serenity in Akron on suspicion of prostitution. (Adam Ferrise, Northeast Ohio Media Group)
 By Adam Ferrise, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 17, 2015 at 7:31 AM, updated May 17, 2015 at 7:51 AM
Comments
AKRON, Ohio -- A Clinton man previously convicted of selling a teen alcohol at his now-defunct Akron nightclub while cameras filmed for Girls Gone Wild pleaded guilty Thursday to running an illicit massage parlor police say offered sex acts to paying customers.

Edmund N. Jaber, 56, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of hiring unlicensed masseuses at his Goodyear Boulevard business called Simple Serenity. Three other misdemeanor counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Akron Municipal Court Judge Katrina Cook sentenced Jaber to one day that he already served in jail. She ordered that he obey all laws for one year or his 179-day suspended jail sentence could be reinstated.

Jaber also had to forfeit five cellphones, marijuana, a safe and $540 seized during the raid. He will be allowed to get back his two handguns police found inside his car after he provides proof of his concealed carry permit.

An employee of the massage parlor, Nichole Demmer, 22, pleaded guilty to being an unlicensed masseuse. A solicitation charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement. She was ordered to undergo drug testing and obey all laws for one year or face further penalties.

Detectives police began investigating Simple Serenity after area business owners, city council members and police officers complained to Akron's vice squad about possible prostitution at the business, according to court records.

Officers found multiple advertisements for Simple Serenity on Backpage.com, a website used to post advertisements for prostitution, according to court records.

Investigators stopped a 37-year-old man Dec. 12 as he left the building. He initially refused to cooperate with officers, but eventually told police he paid $60 for a sex act from someone who worked there.

Officers stopped the 20-year-old employee about three weeks later as she left the massage parlor, court records say. She told police she worked at another business in the same building. Officers, however, recognized her from one of the Backpage.com ads, court records say.

An undercover officer on Feb. 11 paid $60 for a body massage. After the massage, the Denners offered to perform a sex act on the officer for $80, police reports say.

Officers raided the business the same day. Investigators seized $11,182, the safe, five cellphones and documents. The cash was returned to Jaber.