The owner of a Surrey massage parlour who pleaded guilty to keeping a common bawdy house has been fined but will not serve any jail time.

Appearing in Surrey Provincial Court last month, Yuan Li (Amy) Huang, 42, was fined $8,625 and placed on a two-year probation.

"Ms. Huang was engaged in the enterprise for one purpose only – profit," Judge Ellen Gordon said in her written ruling.

"No woman prostitutes herself for the fun of it. Ms. Huang leeched off their desperation for her own financial gain."

Her sentencing marked the culmination of an undercover operation launched by Surrey RCMP in the summer of 2006.

At one point an undercover officer posing as a customer was advised that "sexual favours in addition to a massage cost $100" and that payment could be made by cash, credit card or debit card, according to court documents.

The same offer was made to a second undercover officer a month later.

A female undercover officer who met with Huang and applied for a job was told "how to offer sexual services to customers" and instructed that Huang "would sell condoms to the female workers in bulk at a discount."

The undercover officer was also advised that she could work in a dress or in lingerie and that her attire was to be her choice.

The officer was then informed she could charge up to $100 for "special services" and that the business generally serviced 35 clients a day.

While Huang ran the bawdy house, she herself did not provide sexual services.

After a search warrant was executed, four male customers and three working females were found in the parlour.

Huang, a first offender, was born in China but immigrated to Canada and is now a Canadian citizen.

Her lawyer sought a conditional discharge, arguing that all of the women worked at the massage parlour voluntarily.

The defence also argued "that in many respects society condones the type of activity Ms. Huang was engaged in" and that "the City of Surrey does (as well) because it has not revoked the company's business licence."

Gordon dismissed the request for the discharge, stating that while Huang "did not prostitute herself" because "she was above it," she was not above "exploiting women who felt that there was no other occupation with which they could avail themselves."

rstarr@surreyleader.com