Key West is known for its beaches and palm trees.
But Key West Massage Parlor owner, John Siegel, admitted on CNN that he was once a prostitute.
Siegel, who is now 62 years old, said he began working as a massage therapist in Key Biscayne in 1987.
“I think my wife was a masseuse and she had to get paid to work at the spa, so she got paid,” Siegel said.
“I worked as a masseur and I was working as an escort, and I just didn’t like the lifestyle.
I didn’t enjoy it, I just felt like I had to change.
I just knew I was going to be a prostitute.”
Singer Cher was an escort in the same area.
A Florida Supreme Court ruling in 2004 banned all massage parlors in the state, though Key West was allowed to remain open.
The state has since banned the practice in Florida.
In 2007, Siegel was sentenced to seven years in prison for having sex with a minor.
Siegel had sex with another 17-year-old girl while he was a massage parter at a Key Bissayne hotel.
He served only a year in prison and his parole was revoked in 2012.
While serving time in prison, Sussheimer told CNN that a friend contacted him about becoming a massage artist.
At the time, Siggles was in the midst of a divorce and had a baby.
After his release, he was working at a hotel and had just turned 70.
The man who is still married to Siegel has not said anything about the incident.
This is part of a CNN investigation that explores the dark side of the world of prostitution.
