JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WJAC) — A Johnstown massage therapist is being accused of assaulting one of his clients, according to police.
Police say 43-year-old Shawn Marker, owner of Marker's Massage Spa at 512 Goucher Street, is facing charges involving indecent assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.
Police say a woman reported receiving a free massage for Marker's Massage Spa as a gift from her family for her birthday.
The woman told police she went to the spa and Marker gave her a massage without incident in the summer of 2018.
According to police, the woman said she was later contacted by Marker, who told her she had won a free massage.
She told police the massage went well with no issues.
Marker reached out to the woman again, telling her she had won another free massage.
The woman told police Marker told her “she must be really lucky.”
Police say the timeframe between the massages is unclear.
During that massage, the woman told police that the sheet covering her kept sliding down, exposing her breasts.
The woman said it happened two or three times, but she didn’t give it much thought because she thought the sheet sliding off was accidental.
The woman told police that Marker reached out to her again in September 2018 and told her he had some new deep tissue techniques he wanted to try free of charge.
The woman told police that massage started out as usual, but halfway through, Marker had her roll over onto her back.
Marker began massaging her neck and arms and then took her arm and draped it over the side of the table, according to police.
That’s when the woman said Marker began touching her inappropriately.
Police say she told them she froze up, didn’t know what to do and waited for the massage to be over.
She then got dressed and left, police say.
Marker is awaiting his preliminary hearing.
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