One South Florida woman is sharing her story of how she was sexually assaulted at Massage Envy, which faces lawsuits over alleged assaults and misconduct by employed therapists.
The 27-year-old victim told NBC 6 the incident was "mortifying." She said it occurred at a Massage Envy in Coral Springs.
Though she'd been to that Massage Envy before, she said she was not previously treated by the therapist who assaulted her.
"I completely froze," she said. "It was, like, the last 10 minutes of the massage that he then proceeded to, you know, put his hands on my body where it shouldn't be and technically rape me."
The victim called police right away. The therapist who assaulted her was later sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Victims from other South Florida areas such as Boca Raton and Coral Gables have made similar accusations. BuzzFeed reported on Sunday there have been more than 180 allegations of sexual assault or misconduct linked to Massage Envy.
Adam Horowitz is a lawyer representing victims in more than two dozen sexual misconduct cases against Massage Envy.
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Horowitz said there is no typical predator as they range from new therapists to experienced.
"The one common thread is the perpetrators are always male massage therapists in every case," Horowitz said.
In a statement, Massage Envy said: "Even one incident is too many."
"That's why we will never stop reinforcing to our franchisees the importance of a safe environment. It's why we are constantly listening, learning and looking at how we can do more," the company said.
The lawsuits alleged Massage Envy and its franchisees mishandled or ignored many of the cases.
