As Dominic posted minutes ago, Seattle Police have raided the Sacred Temple massage parlor on Eastlake Avenue E and E Allison Street.

The raid apparently comes as the result of complaints from neighbors. Seattle Vice detectives were apparently tipped off about the Sacred Temple—and its sister business the Moon Temple in Greenwood—after a man in Eastlake apparently became irate that the Sacred Temple's customers were taking up all of the street parking. According to a former Moon Temple employee, the Greenwood business shut down several weeks ago after the angry Eastlake neighbor began putting fliers up around the businesses.

According to comments posted on Thereviewboard.net, an escort review site, the Sacred Temple had been in business for at least a year.

From the Sacred Temple's (now down) website:

We do not offer massage at our temple. The term "massage" is reserved in the State of Washington for therapists who have attended massage school and completed licensing requirements. There are serious penalties for practicing massage without a license in this state, so we are careful to distinguish between our work and theirs. If you are looking for a therapeutic massage, we can refer you to some excellent therapists. However, you may certainly find our service to be helpful in your pursuit of body wisdom and relaxation. You can find out more about our sessions by following the "sessions" link.

There are other things that we do not offer at the Sacred Temple. Among them, "bodywork", against which there is an ordinance in Seattle. We do not offer sexual services in exchange for money, also an illegal activity in Washington State. Our work is sensual in nature, often intimate, and the intent is to honor and restore every part of the body, from the bottom of your feet to the tips of your fingers and the top of your head. We ask that you please refrain from discussing any sexual activities over the phone or in your emails to us. We are occasionally asked about services that would best be provided by a courtesan. When that occurs, we recommend to the caller that they visit The Review Board which is a community bulletin board that lists dozens of ladies providing such services. Our service has been reviewed positively and in detail there as well. It is purely up to you to decide what it is you seek, and where you should go to find it. Hopefully you will find exactly what you need, wherever you go.

When you do schedule a session with one of our practitioners, you should know that your donation is for their time and healing presence. Every practitioner works in their own special way, and you will have the most fulfilling experience when you arrive open to receive the gifts they have to offer you. Tipping is not required, nor is it ever expected or requested. However, many of our seekers have such a fantastic experience that they wish to give an additional donation at the end of the session and this is greatly appreciated by us all. It is important to know that doing so should not imply any additional expectations of your healer.

No one in SPD's Vice unit was available for comment on the raid on Sacred Temple or how long the business had been under surveillance.