Seth Hurwitz Arrest Report Details Investigation Into 9:30 Club Owner’s Conduct
Details have been released regarding the undercover operation conducted by Maryland vice detectives that ultimately led to the arrest of independent concert promoter Seth Hurwitz of I.M.P., who…
Details have been released regarding the undercover operation conducted by Maryland vice detectives that ultimately led to the arrest of independent concert promoter Seth Hurwitz of I.M.P., who co-owns the popular Washington D.C. music venue 9:30 Club and has operating agreements with The Anthem and Merriweather Post Pavilion. Hurwitz was arrested on Aug. 21 and charged with solicitation of prostitution.
According to a probable cause report released by the Montgomery County State Attorney’s office, a licensed massage therapist contacted Montgomery County Police on Aug. 16 reporting that she had been sexually solicited the day prior by a man named “Seth” who had called her to book a massage. She told police that during the massage, Seth “Googled’ himself and showed her the results, then made inappropriate sexual comments and motions and implied she would receive a bigger tip for performing sex acts. He also allegedly left a roll of cash on the floor of the massage room. The police ran the number given to the massage therapist through police databases and confirmed that the number had been “associated with Hurwitz from prior police contacts.”
As detectives looked on, the massage therapist responded to a text from Hurwitz requesting to schedule another massage with her. During that conversation, he relayed that he would “pay whatever for it” and that the masseuse already knew what he liked.
The masseuse then told Hurwitz he could call her at 5 p.m. One minute later he did, as two police detectives listened and transcribed their conversation over speaker phone. Hurwitz began the call by telling the masseuse, “let me start off by saying I love your massage.” The massage therapist told Hurwitz that she was worried about losing her license if she were caught for performing sex work, to which he replied he had a lot more to lose than her. He also said that he preferred talking on the phone and that he would be deleting their text conversations.
With the police still listening, Hurwitz said that he wanted an “undraped massage” and would also pay extra for oral sex. When the victim asked if she would be paid before or after, Hurwitz told her that he was offended by the question, as he deals with millionaire celebrities who don’t get paid until the “gig is over.” He also described previous arrangements with another woman, describing his grooming process, and indicated he was married and wanted to hide the meeting from his wife.
The next day on Aug. 17, Hurwitz texted the masseuse and made an appointment to come to her office, saying “Let’s do 500 for 60 min massage everything.” When she asked about the $1,000 they had discussed, he said that he would pay her $1,000 for a home visit with oral sex. After receiving those texts, the masseuse contacted police and told them that from the text messages she believed that Hurwitz wanted her to manually pleasure him for $500. She told them that her hourly rate for a massage is $100.
When Horowitz arrived on Aug. 21 at the masseuse’s office, Montgomery County police vice and intelligence officers were waiting to arrest him. When he was taken into custody, police said they found 10 $100 dollar bills near his wallet. After Hurwitz was advised of his rights, he admitted to police that he was the person who had been texting with the masseuse. He was subsequently charged with solicitation of prostitution, a misdemeanor. Hurwitz was booked and released on a $5,000 bond.
Hurwitz’s next court date is set for Sept. 26. in Rockville, Maryland.
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