by peter e. bortner
One of two women charged with promoting prostitution at a North Manheim Township spa has entered a special probationary program that will allow her to emerge from the incident with no criminal record.
Sung Chun Yang, 48, of Rockville, Md., who was charged with criminal solicitation and promoting prostitution and related offenses, was admitted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on Thursday in Schuylkill County Court by Judge John E. Domalakes.
Yang was one of 35 people who entered the program, which will allow her and the others to have charges against them dismissed if they successfully complete it by obeying directives from the county Adult Probation and Parole Office and payment of all costs of participating in it.
Yang said nothing during Thursday's hearing before Domalakes except to indicate that she understood the conditions of her participation in the program.
Schuylkill County detectives charged Yang with committing prostitution in July at the Aroma Spa, 511 Route 61 South, Schuylkill Haven.
Detectives said Yang agreed to engage in sexual activity with an undercover officer in exchange for money at 9:44 a.m. July 27 at the spa.
The spa is now closed, with the sign having been removed from the building it had shared with a Hess service station and Hess Mart convenience store near the Route 443 jug handle.
Yang's co-defendant, Mi Duk Park, 47, of Philadelphia, who also is charged with criminal solicitation and promoting prostitution and related offenses, still has charges against her pending in the county court.
Detectives said Park agreed to engage in sexual activity with an undercover officer in exchange for money at 8:43 p.m. July 25, also at the spa.Defendant: Sung Chun Yang
Age: 48
Residence: Rockville, Md.
Charges: Criminal solicitation and promoting prostitution and related offenses