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Breaking Legal News
A massage therapist at the Viva Day Spa location on Rock Rose Avenue has been arrested for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a client at the business.
The arrest warrant says that a pregnant client scheduled a massage at Viva Day Spa for the relief of aches and tension related to her pregnancy. She says that the male massage therapist began massaging her inappropriately. According to the warrant, the woman froze and was unsure of how to respond. After returning home, she contacted the police.
37-year-old Jonathan Aaron Newcomb was arrested on Thursday, January 17 and charged with attempted sexual assault, which is a third-degree felony. He was released on $10,000 bond the same day.
Newcomb had been employed at the Domain Northside location of Viva Day Spa for about a year. He was placed on indefinite suspension after the company learned about the allegations and police report.
Attorney Anjali Nigam is a civil attorney, helping survivors of sexual assault find justice through lawsuits. We've asked him to discuss the legal rights of those who have been sexually assaulted by massage therapists:
All across the country, there have been widespread issues of massage therapists sexually assaulting their clients. A late 2017 report by BuzzFeed News revealed roughly 200 reported cases of sexual misconduct at Massage Envy chain locations throughout the US, and there have been dozens of others reported at other businesses. The victims of these crimes deserve justice, which means prosecuting the perpetrator along with holding the business accountable if their negligence allowed the abuse to happen.
In some cases of massage therapy sexual assault, the perpetrator's employer is partially responsible for failing to prevent the assault. For example, a company might be considered negligent and held liable for sexual assault for failing to run a background check before hiring a new employee or failing to report allegations of sexual misconduct to law enforcement. In cases that involve negligence, the victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit.
If you or a loved one is a survivor of massage therapist sexual assault, we want to help you find justice. To learn more about your legal options, contact one of our experienced sexual assault survivors lawyers for a free consultation.
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