Bradenton massage therapist Kenneth Geren Bannister has been arrested on a charge of Sexual Misconduct in the Practice of Massage Therapy The arrest involves an alleged incident at Elements Massage on June 17, 2018 in which Bannister reportedly used his position as a massage therapist to engage in sexual activity with a female client. Under Florida law, all sexual contact between a massage therapist and client is prohibited. Bannister has been licensed as a massage therapist since 2013.
According to public records from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the victim reported to law enforcement that Kenneth Bannister tied to kiss her at the end of the massage appointment but she moved her head away to avoid contact. He then allegedly grabbed her breasts and moved his hands underneath the victim’s underwear and inserted his finger into her vagina. The police report then describes that Mr. Bannister allegedly moved the victim’s underpants aside and inserted his penis into his client’s vagina and eventually ejaculated. When questioned by police, Bannister admitted to the sexual intercourse but told law enforcement it was “consensual.”
Elements Massage, where Kenneth Bannister was employed on the date of the alleged incident, is one of the fastest growing therapeutic massage franchises in the nation, with more than 240 locations in the United States and Canada.
A massage therapist is never permitted to have sexual contact with a client. If you have a been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery during a massage, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at (954) 641-2100 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected]