Massage Parlor ‘Bawdy Place’ trials continued into January 2020

Misdemeanor trials related to the operation of a Biggs Drive massage parlor involved in the solicitation charge against then-Front Royal Mayor Hollis Tharpe in April were continued to an as-yet undetermined January date on Wednesday in Warren County General District Court.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Layton said he hoped a date could be established sooner rather than later that accommodated attorneys on all sides. Layton said attempts to set dates in December failed due to a combination of court docket and attorney scheduling situations.

Layton and defense counsel David Downes agreed that a major stumbling block on proceeding to trial involves a court protective order being placed on one piece of evidence, a customer list of the massage parlor to keep that list from being made public from the court file until it or portions of it are introduced into evidence at trial.

Cynthia Atkinson Bailey, her daughter Brandy Nicole Atkinson and son Jesse Thomas Atkinson were arrested by Front Royal Police on May 15, 2019 and charged with the misdemeanor offense of maintaining a “bawdy” (defined as gross, indecent or overly graphic) place. Bailey’s son-in-law Joshua Allan Stamper also faces charges related to the massage parlor operation.

From left, Cynthia Atkinson Bailey with children Brandy and Jesse Atkinson outside the WC Courthouse following an earlier hearing on their cases – Royal Examiner File Photo/Roger Bianchini

Other charges the family faces include receiving money from earnings of prostitution (felony), prostitution (felony), and cruelty to children, the latter charge according to the criminal complaint involving the presence of a juvenile in the Biggs Drive residence who “answered phone calls, arranged appointments and walked clients to the rooms.” The referenced juvenile is believed to be a grandchild of Bailey’s.

Preliminary hearings on the felony charges scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, were also continued to a future date.

Perhaps ironically the trial delays came one day after Tharpe failed in his effort to regain his mayoral seat and serve out the final year of the term he announced on April 19 he would resign from effective May 2 to prevent his legal situation from becoming a distraction to the conduct of Town business.

The indictment against Tharpe cited a May 31, 2018 incident in which he allegedly offered “money or its equivalent to another for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts”. Tharpe admitted to being a customer of the massage parlor operating as Blue Ridge Services, but denied paying for anything other than legitimate massage therapy.

Tharpe’s misdemeanor solicitation case was dismissed at the request of Special Prosecutor Heather Hovermale during a July 15 hearing due to Bailey’s invocation of her Fifth Amendment right to not self-incriminate due to the related charges hanging over her head. His charge dismissed, Tharpe almost immediately announced that he would run in the November election to regain the mayor’s seat he gave up.

However on November 5 Tharpe was defeated by Councilman Gene Tewalt who announced his run for mayor following Tharpe’s resignation but prior to his reentry into the Town political scene.