Fort Myers Beach massage therapist, Barry Gould, surrendered his license to practice massage therapy in Florida, which was accepted and adjudged as a discipline on September 3, 2021, by the Board of Massage Therapy. Following a disciplinary action brought by the Florida Department of Health Board of Massage Therapy alleging sexual misconduct at Armando’s Day Spa, Gould agreed to cease practicing immediately and not re-apply for a massage therapist license in Florida. Barry Gould, age 71, had been a licensed massage therapist in Florida since 1997. In a related criminal case, Gould confessed to law enforcement that he touched the victim’s vagina while she was nude, without her consent, during her massage. The criminal case remains pending in Lee County, Florida.
A Final Order of discipline was entered following an allegation of sexual misconduct made against Barry Gould when he was working at Armando’s Day Spa, located at 2101 Estero Blvd Fort Myers Beach FL 33931. According to media reports, Gould was arrested in Lee County for sexual assault on these same charges in December 2020. Those criminal charges remain pending. According to the criminal charges and Board of Massage Therapy Complaint, on December 19, 2020, Gould performed a massage on a 26-year-old female client. During the massage, Gould allegedly inserted two fingers partially inside his client’s vagina during the 60-minute massage without her consent. Gould was arrested the same day after the victim identified him in a lineup.
The disciplinary order continues a long and disturbing trend of sexual misconduct by massage therapists statewide. Under Florida law, massage therapists occupy positions of trust, and all sexual activity between the massage therapist and clients is strictly prohibited.
Gould allegedly violated the massage therapist-patient relationship. A massage therapist may not use his relationship with a client to induce or attempt to induce the patient to engage or to engage or attempt to engage the patient in sexual activity outside the scope of practice or the scope of generally accepted examination or treatment of the patient.
Attorney Adam Horowitz has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against massage therapists on behalf of clients who were inappropriately touched during a massage or spa service. A massage therapist is never permitted to have sexual contact with a client. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery during a massage at Armando’s or any other spa, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail sexual abuse lawyer, Adam Horowitz today.
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