On November 20, 2024, massage therapist Virgil Browne of Palm Beach got his license to practice massage therapy suspended by the Florida Department of Health. An Order of Emergency Suspension was issued after a complaint was filed against Virgil Browne fpr sexual assault on a client while he was working at the Breakers Palm Beach Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Virgil Browne has been a licensed massage therapist in Florida in Florida since 2023. The emergency suspension prohibits Browne from practicing massage therapy in Florida, effective immediately.
According to the Emergency Order, on August 23, 2024, Virgil Browne was scheduled to perform an 80-minute massage on a 19-year-old female client while working at The Spa at the Breakers Palm Beach. This was his second time performing a massage on this client. The client reportedly disrobed and laid face down on the table, covered with a sheet. The client claims that about 60 minutes into the massage, she felt the sheet coming off while Browne was massaging her upper thigh. Browne then allegedly reached under the draping and touched the victim's groin and vagina with his fingers while exposing her genital area. He continued to massage her leg, and she screamed out to Browne, stating, "that was too much." In response, Browne allegedly said that he "got carried away." Browne reportedly asked the victim to stay silent about what occurred, but the teen decided to contact the Breakers management to report his misconduct so it wouldn't happen to others. According to law enforcement records, video surveillance in the spa confirmed that the appointment ended twenty minutes earlier than scheduled.
Virgil Browne was arrested by the Palm Beach police on misdemeanor battery charges on the date of the incident. In December 2025, Browne entered into a pre-trial diversion program to conclude the criminal case.
Clients of massage therapists are placed in isolated, vulnerable settings where they can be subject to abuse by their massage therapists. Due to the potential for abuse that is inherent under these circumstances, massage therapists must possess good judgment and good moral character in order to practice massage therapy safely. Any violation of that trust requires swift action, as it is both unacceptable and unlawful for a massage therapist to touch a client in a sexual manner. Virgil Browne is alleged to have willfully abused his position as a massage therapist to sexually violate a patient. Browne reportedly abused his power and lacked good moral judgment to practice massage safely.
Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against massage therapists on behalf of clients who were inappropriately touched at massage parlors and other spas and resorts. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery during a massage appointment, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail Adam Horowitz at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.