BOYNTON BEACH MASSAGE THERAPIST ROBERT ABREU FACES MULTIPLE SEXUAL MISCONDUCT COMPLAINTS
On December 17, 2020, the Florida Department of Health ordered the emergency restriction of the license of massage therapist, Roberto Abreu, prohibiting his practice of massage therapy on female clients in the State of Florida. The Emergency Order was entered in response to multiple sexual misconduct complaints by female clients that allegedly occurred in 2020 at Another Level Health (1800 W. Woolbright Road, Suite 101) in Boynton Beach, Florida. Abreu has been a licensed massage therapist since 2010.
According to the Order, the first incident that was the subject of the discipline occurred on October 1, 2020, at Another Level Health. Roberto Abreu performed a full body massage on a female client. The client complained that Mr. Abreu allegedly made her uncomfortable during her massage. She stated that Mr. Abreu groped her during the massage when he rubbed “too close” to her breasts. Additionally, the victim complained that Mr. Abreu failed to appropriately drape her, leaving her exposed and uncomfortable. A prior report was made in July 2020 to Another Level Health with another client alleging she was groped and had her breasts touched by Roberto Abreu.
On October 6, 2020, Mr. Abreu performed a massage on a third female client at Another Level Health. She allegedly complained that half-way through the massage, she turned over to lie face-up on the massage table. She then fell asleep and woke up to feel Mr. Abreu’s hand under her underwear and touching her vagina. The victim froze and pretended to still be asleep to avoid confrontation. When the massage concluded, she got dressed, paid for the massage, and left the establishment. She filed a complaint the next day and also reported Mr. Abreu to the Boynton Beach Police Department. Mr. Abreu was then terminated from Another Level Health.
A Boynton Beach Police Department detective interviewed Mr. Abreu about the allegations made by his client. Mr. Abreu admitted that “on occasion”, his finger may have touched a patient’s genital area during a massage when he massaged a patient’s inner thigh or pelvic area.
Roberto Abreu’s alleged violation of the massage therapist-patient relationship indicates that Mr. Abreu may lack the good moral character and judgment necessary to practice massage therapy. According to the Department of Health, Abreu willfully abused his position as a massage therapist by inappropriately touching and sexually violating women who trusted him to act professionally and within the boundaries of generally accepted massage therapy and treatment.
The Order ensures he can no longer pose a danger to the public’s health, welfare, and safety, pending a final hearing by the Department. When clients book a massage, it is to decompress from the stresses of life. They trust that the massage therapists employed at the spa are carefully vetted and safe to engage with the public. It is unacceptable, immoral, and unlawful for any employee to touch a client in a sexual manner.
Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against massage therapists on behalf of clients who were sexually assaulted at massage businesses, spas, and resorts. If you have 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 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected] for a free consultation.