Legal Analysis By Attorneys
Breaking Legal News
A former massage therapist from the American Chiropractic Spa and Retreat was found guilty of aggravated indecent assault on Wednesday, September 26. State College police investigated 58-year-old Kevin Gilliam and found a pattern of inappropriate sexual touching during massage sessions at the State College business, dating back to 2012. During the three-day trial, four women testified that Gilliam touched them inappropriately.
The jury deliberated for roughly six officers before finding Gilliam guilty of two counts of indecent assault and three counts of harassment. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29 by Judge Brian Marshall.
Guy D'Andrea is an experienced massage therapist sexual assault lawyer who helps survivors of sexual violence secure justice. We’ve asked him to share some input into the legal options available to those who have been sexually abused by massage therapists:
Massage therapy requires trust between the therapist and the customer. Customers are in a vulnerable position, and it’s important that the employees of massage businesses are honorable people who treat their customers with respect. Unfortunately, sometimes massage therapy attracts sexual predators who abuse their positions of trust and sexually assault their customers.
When a massage therapy customer is sexually abused by a massage therapist, it’s crucial to arrest and prosecute the offender before they can harm others. Additionally, it’s also important to determine if the offender’s employer was negligent in a way that failed to prevent sexual assault by their employees. For example, a massage business may be considered negligent for failing to report complaints of sexual misconduct to the authorities or failing to fire an employee accused of sexual misconduct.
If you’ve been sexually assaulted by a massage therapist and are looking for justice, you can learn more by speaking with an experienced sexual assault victims lawyer.
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