'Violated, Scared': DC Massage Envy Assault Victim Speaks Out

(Updated at 4:24 p.m. Tuesday): WASHINGTON, DC — A woman who reported she was sexually assaulted at a DC Massage Envy location spoke out at a news conference Monday, following a published report by BuzzFeed News that over 180 women have accused massage therapists from the popular chain of sexual assault.

Two DC women reported to police earlier this fall that a Tenleytown Massage Envy massage therapist sexually assaulted them. One of the victims, who initially filed a $25 million lawsuit under the pseudonym "Jane Doe," decided to come forward publicly and spoke about the lawsuit at a press conference held at Cohen & Cohen P.C. Monday afternoon.

Tara Woodley, a married woman in her 20s, said Habtamu Gebreslassie, 24, of Silver Spring, Maryland, performed oral sex on her against her will at the Tenleytown spa. She sued, stating Gebreselassie assaulted her in the final 15 minutes of her 90-minute massage on Sept. 17. at the Tenleytown business, 4926 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

"It is almost impossible to express how violated I felt and how scared I was," Woodley said at the news conference. "I felt deep shame and embarrassment about what happened to me."

Woodley said she had only been to a Massage Envy spa once before in Los Angeles. She and her husband had just moved to DC and she decided to treat herself to a massage once she found a job. She said she decided to come forward in wake of the recent sexual assault allegations in Hollywood and politics, and that it is one of the hardest decisions she has made.

Personal injury attorney Kim Brooks-Rodney, with the Cohen and Cohen law firm, said Massage Envy received prior complaints of a similar nature about Gebreselassie before Woodly went to the spa. Gebreselassie worked at the Bowie location and was allegedly moved to the Tenleytown spa after a client accused him of sexual assault.

"This lawsuit is about change. It's about making day spas safe, it's about never again (happening) to another woman," Brooks-Rodney said at the news conference.

Brooks-Rodney and the Buzzfeed report claims Massage Envy has a pattern of ignoring improper conduct to protect the billion-dollar Massage Envy brand.

BuzzFeed cited court records, police reports and other complaints from women who reported being groped and penetrated by massage therapists at Massage Envy locations across the country.

See Related:

• Massage Therapist Arrested For Sexually Assaulting Customer
  
• Second Victim Accuses D.C. Massage Therapist Of Sex Assault
• Woman Files $25M Lawsuit Against Massage Envy, Masseur For Sex Assault
• Virginia Massage Envy Client Writes About Sexual Assault

Massage experts told BuzzFeed that even if workers do not know for certain that a client was sexually assaulted, they should encourage victims to file a formal complaint with law enforcement. Experts also told the website franchises should prominently display their reporting policies and hire specially trained consultants if they're accused of a crime.

But according to the Buzzfeed report, in places where it is not required by law, Massage Envy "does not compel its franchisees to notify law enforcement," even in cases of rape. In an email to BuzzFeed, a lawyer for Massage Envy said: "We hold franchise owners accountable to our policies and, when we say nothing is more important to us than treating clients with respect and giving them a safe, professional experience, we mean it."

Woodley said at the news conference that she asked Gebreselassie how long he had been a massage therapist because he looked so young. He allegedly said to her: "Not long, but I'm a very good therapist."

Gebreselassie allegedly moved the sheet that was covering her during the massage and made inappropriate oral sexual contact with her. She was taken to the hospital, where she was given tests to determine if she contracted any sexually transmitted infections. She will not know whether she contracted any infections "for quite some time," a statement from the law firm said.

At the news conference, Woodley said she told Gebreselassie the massage was finished and asked him to leave the room. He allegedly then got on his knees, grabbed her hand and begged her not to tell anyone.

"He kept using my name," Woodley said. "Please, Tara."

Gebreselassie allegedly whispered "I'm sorry" to her as he left the room. She then went outside and called her husband, who urged her to call police. She later saw Gebreselassie get arrested at the spa.

"He was on a trend. Basically, every month, he was targeting somebody, and I was September," Woodley said at the news conference. "So, I thank God that it happened to me, that my husband encouraged me to call the police, and that it won’t happen to a November woman or December woman."

Gebreslassie is scheduled for a status conference in DC Superior Court on Dec. 11, according to court records obtained by NBC News.

>> See the court-filed Massage Envy lawsuit here.

Watch Now: Sexual Misconduct Widespread At Massage Chain

Photo of Woodley, Brooks-Rodney, and Woodley's husband at news conference, by Cameron Luttrell/Patch.com