Sex Abuse Claims Hit Massage Chain With 7 NYC Locations: Report

NEW YORK, NY – More than 180 women have accused massage therapists of sexual assault at a popular chain that has locations throughout New York City, according to a BuzzFeed report.

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. The company ignored the allegations, according to the report.

The New York Post reported that two of those allegations involved a New York City location, though that was not confirmed by the NYPD.

One of the victims, Susan Ingram, called her local Massage Envy an hour after therapist James Deiter allegedly groped her during a session in Pennsylvania, and pleaded with the staff to bar him from giving massages, the report said.

But the manager at the store reportedly told Ingram that Deiter was in a session with another client and could not be disturbed. Deiter would later plead guilty to sexually molesting nine women while working at Massage Envy, the report said.

In another case, a woman was sexually assaulted in a Virginia Massage Envy in October 2015. Dick immediately reported it to the Massage Envy desk clerk, who insisted calling the police would not be necessary because it would be handled internally, BuzzFeed reported.

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 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.”

Head over to BuzzFeed for the whole story.

Reported by Tom Davis/Patch

Watch Now: Sexual Misconduct Widespread At Massage Chain

Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Invision for Massage Envy/AP Images