Oregon Massage Envy Therapist Charged with Sexual Abuse
Oregon Massage Envy Therapist Charged with Sexual Abuse
In late December 2019, Gregory Rice, a licensed massage therapist was accused of sexually assaulting a client at a Massage Envy franchise in Sherwood, Oregon. Law enforcement says Rice unlawfully initiated unwanted sexual contact with the woman while she was there to receive a massage. The woman immediately reported the incident to the Sherwood Police Department. After an investigation, Rice was cited and released on third-degree sex abuse charges.
Rice, age 49, worked for the Massage Envy chain for more than two years, from March 21, 2017 to Nov. 27, 2019. Sherwood police suspect there could be more victims out there, and are seeking help from the public to identify any additional victims. If you have any information regarding this or another incident, please contact Detective Kelley Bertrand with the Sherwood Police Department at (503) 925-7136 .
Massage Envy has been the subject of multiple allegations of sexual assault of its female clientele. In 2017, Buzzfeed reported that more than 180 people had filed sexual misconduct complaints against the franchise. Since that time, dozens more have come forward to report sexual assault by massage therapists.
When clients book a massage, it is to decompress from the stresses of life and relax. They trust that the massage therapists employed at the spa are carefully vetted and safe. It is unacceptable 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 inappropriately touched at Massage Envy and other spas. 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, 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 adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.