FAIRFAX, Virginia — County prosecutors dropped the lone prostitution-related charge against an apparent brothel on a residential street in Falls Church, instead slapping the proprietor with a $500 fine for a missing massage permit.

Rose Spa, also known as L Health Inc., is purportedly a massage spa in a family neighborhood of Falls Church. The spa is widely understood to be a brothel, based on the website (“Hello gentlemen … many young and beautiful Asian girls”), advertisements for the business on prostitution websites, and reviews of the prostitutes on websites reviewing prostitutes (“She did give a nice BJ.”)

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On July 17, police visited the spa and charged it with two misdemeanors, operating a massage parlor without a permit and “Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place.”

A “bawdy place” in Virginia law is any place used for “lewdness, assignation, or prostitution.” In other words, this is a misdemeanor for someone who permits prostitution to go on in his business or property, or who frequents such a place. This charge means police believed they had found probable cause that this was a house of prostitution, lewdness, or assignation.

On Tuesday, in the Fairfax County General District Court, though, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Jenna Sands announced a deal reached with the Spa: A guilty plea to the permit violation (carrying a $500 fine), and nolle prosequi for the “bawdy house” charge. That is, the county dropped the prostitution-related charge.

“This was the strongest possible outcome for guaranteed accountability given the evidence available in this case,” said a spokeswoman for the commonwealth’s attorney.

Under Virginia law, it is a misdemeanor to sell or buy sex or to keep a “bawdy place.” It is a felony, though, to be a pimp or madame — that is, to employ prostitutes or run a prostitution business.

The defendant in this case was L Health Center, Inc., one of the business names for Rose Spa. Xiaoyang Li, listed as an alternative defendant, appeared in court, and through an interpreter described himself as the “manager” of the business.

When neighbors complained in the spring and summer about the brothel down the street, police told them, “Our hands are tied.” The dropped charge gives a hint as to why the officers believe this.

About 80 illegal massage parlors operate in the county “in plain sight” according to County Supervisor Pat Herrity, and not one has been prosecuted for prostitution or bawdiness by the Commonwealth Attorney’s office. The office did not address the direct question of whether it has de facto legalized prostitution in the county.

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Commonwealth’s Attorney Descano is primarily funded by George Soros, who has bankrolled many efforts to legalize prostitution. Descano has also stated proudly and publicly that he won’t enforce state laws that cut against his ideology.

Fairfax County Police Department commented: “The Fairfax County Police Department has no role in decisions made by the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. The location on Summerfield Road remains under active investigation. Prostitution is illegal under Virginia law and, therefore, remains illegal in Fairfax County.”