Blue House Lounge verdict: guilty on all counts

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - After two days of deliberations jurors presiding over the sex trafficking case against former Blue House Lounger Owner Song Ja Cha have found her guilty on all 20 counts of sex trafficking, coercion, conspiracy and foreign transportation for prostitution. During the trial Cha took the stand testifying that she did not know that prostitution was occurring inside her night club.

The prosecution however argued she did know and even recruited young women from Chuuk to work at the Blue House Lounge as prostitutes. The young ladies were paid $40 to have sex with customers. Federal prosecutors said Cha created a climate of fear by holding the ladies hostage and forcing them to have sex until they were able to repay her for the cost she incurred to move them from Chuuk to Guam. 

Cha's attorney, Howard Trapp, however argued the young ladies were lying. He told the jury during closing arguments that the girls knew that if they lied about being forced to have sex they knew they'd go free.

Trapp said the mere suggestion that his client was selling sex for $40 was "ridiculous".

Cha is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18.