The woman operating a Kenai massage parlor deemed to be a prostitution ring in court, Karen Carpenter, was sentenced on her conviction for sex trafficking and prostitution on Monday.

50-year-old Carpenter, who has already spent nine months in the Wildwood Pretrial Facility as she awaited court, was sentenced to three years with almost two years of that sentence suspended and also received two years probation. Carpenter will not go back to jail because of the nine months already served while awaiting trial and time off for good behavior takes up the entirety of her jail time.

Superior Court Judge Carl Bauman took into consideration recommendations of both the prosecution and Carpenter’s Public Defender in determining the Carpenter’s sentence.

The state asked for a sentence of three years with a year and a half suspended for the five convictions that were merged into a single count of a class B Trafficking Felony, and also asked for 60 days for the one count of prostitution. The state recommended that Carpenter undergo a sex offender assessment. Discussion in court determined that Carpenter need not register as a sex offender.

Carpenter’s defense recommended a sentence of two years with one suspended and two years probation, with an additional sentence of 10 days for the prostitution conviction. Instead of a sex offender assessment, the defense asked that Carpenter undergo a mental health evaluation with the defendant compying with the evaluation’s recommendation.

The case against Carpenter began when Anchorage Police tipped off their counterparts in Kenai to an online advertisement and the Kenai investigation began in December of 2012. A preliminary investigation took place then during a two-day period beginning on January 9th, two undercover officers visited Carpenter’s massage parlor to determine what services the parlor offered, during that time, Carpenter as well as one of her employees, Adison Murrietta, were contacted and information gathered.

By January 11th, the two were arrested and a summons was issued for a second employee.

On January 18th, Carpenter was indicted by a Kenai Grand Jury.