Belleville, Illinois - Doug J. Hill of "Massage By Doug" Charged With Sexually Assaulting Customer

Belleville Police Arrest & Charge Former Massage Parlor Owner With Sexual Assault

Belleville Police arrested and charged the 71-year-old owner of the now permanently-closed massage parlor Massage By Doug with sexual assault on July 26. Doug J. Hill faces one count of sexual assault and one count of aggravated battery after a customer accused him of sexually touching her with his hand on October 23, 2015, during an appointment at Massage By Doug. The massage parlor was formerly located had 4200 North Belt West in Belleville.

Legal Options For Survivors of Massage Therapist Sexual Assault

Message therapy sexual assault attorney and Legal Herald contributor Guy D'Andrea would like to add some thoughts on the legal rights of sexual assault and abuse victims:

This story is unfortunately not unique, as massage therapist sexual assault has become a widespread issue in the United States. A small minority of massage therapists exploit their positions of power and trust by sexually violating their clients. Victims of sexual abuse react in different ways, but it’s natural to wonder how you can find justice after a traumatic experience.

Survivors can find justice in two main ways – by seeing their abusers criminally prosecuted, and by holding either (or both) the perpetrator and third-party enablers accountable for the incident. For instance, sexual assaults that occur at businesses that have not done background checks could be attributed to negligence, and that business owner could potentially be held liable in a sexual abuse lawsuit.