WOMEN'S GROUP KEEPS HEAT ON SEX TOUR BUSINESS

The heat continues on the Queens County District Attorney who has, so far, refused to prosecute the owners of Big Apple Oriental Tours over its operation of sex tours to the Philippines and Thailand.

In early January, Queens Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney demanded District Attorney Richard Brown bring charges against Big Apple and its owners, and also demanded an explanation of why he hadn't done so. Brown replied that there was no solid evidence the company had committed any crime in New York.

But Equality Now trafficking campaign director Ken Franzblau is turning up the temperature under Brown. Franzblau writes in the New York Daily News that Big Apple Oriental Tours "knowingly solicits customers to travel to these two countries for the opportunity of engaging in sexual conduct with women" for about $2,200 per person.

Franzblau writes that that violates a state prostitution profit law. "It also violates the section of the law…to advance or profit from prostitution by controlling or owning a business involving activity by two or more prostitutes," he writes. "It is undisputed that Big Apple Oriental Tours advertises its services, solicits customers, accepts fees for its services, and makes travel and lodging arrangements from Queens County to advance its sex tour business. Yet, according to Brown, that still does not merit prosecution."

Brown has since answered Maloney saying he "abhors" exploiting women in Asian and Pacific countries, "and the activities of companies such as Big Apple Oriental Tours in profiting therefrom..." But he held his position that there's no sufficient legal basis to prosecute the company or its owners.

However, Franzblau says the Brown letter amounts to admitting the company broke state law. "It is legally irrelevant that the acts of prostitution take place in other countries, as long as the offense of promoting prostitution takes place in Queens County," he writes in the News. "…it isn't necessary that the sexual act take place within the jurisdiction for local authorities to prosecute."

Franzblau also says previous court rulings have said it isn't even necessary for actual sex acts to have happened to prosecute someone promoting prostitution.

When the original Maloney letter was announced, a Brown spokeswoman told the News the Queens D.A. had been probing Big Apple since 1997 but couldn't prove a crime had been committed even with the U.S. Justice Department's help. A Big Apple spokesman told the paper the company was offering "legitimate nightlife tours".