WARREN, Ohio - The closing of eight massage parlors accused of being fronts for prostitution is welcomed news to Warren city officials who worked tirelessly to combat the problem.

Only yards away from where children play miniature golf, the Moon Night Spa is officially closed down.

"Something like this should be put out where nobody is," said Bryan Cupp who was golfing with his children. "I mean as far as families getting together, it's disgusting."

One of the eight massage parlors shut down by the city of Warren, the Moon Night Spa, was believed to have been a front for prostitution.

"I think everybody in Warren had an idea of what was going on over there," said Putt-Putt Manager Renna Ackerman.

Ackerman has been working next to the Moon Night Spa for years. Separated by only a wood fence, she said the girls she saw working there caused little problems for her or her business.

"I realized what type of business it was, but there was never a problem," Ackerman said. "I'm sure that's why the police did have trouble shutting them down."

The move to shut down the spas has been a decade of work for city officials.

"For any community to grow and produce jobs for our community, you have to make the community attractive," said former Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien. "This of course has a negative impact on any attractive venue you would have in our community."

21 News spoke with Jean Warris with North Eastern Ohio Coalition on Rescue and Restore, a newly formed organization designed to combat human trafficking. Warris described the city of Warren as "massage parlor heaven," or "a mecca for prostitution."

Although relieved to see the eight massage parlors shut down, she knows it's far from over. "We have to move forward, trying to get better legislation. We have to make the community aware of the problem," Warris said. "You can't solve a problem if the community doesn't know it exists."