On July 22, 2021 the Florida Department of Health Board of Massage Therapy filed an Administrative Complaint seeking to discipline massage therapist Melvyn King for his alleged sexual assault of a female client. According to the Complaint, the incident occurred on July 17, 2019 when Melvyn King was employed at Massage Envy Aventura, located at 20633 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura, FL 33180. The Complaint alleges that Melvyn King impermissibly rubbed his clothed penis against his client’s arms during the massage appointment.
Florida law prohibits all sexual activity by any person employed in a massage establishment and says that no licensed massage therapist shall use the therapist-client relationship to engage in sexual activity. The Board of Masstriction of practice, imposition of an administrative fine, issuance of a reprimand, placement of King on probation, corrective action, remedial education and/or any other relief that the Board deems appropriate. Melvyn King has been licensed as a massage therapist in Florida since December 2006. King has also been self-employed as a massage therapist at Mel’s Mobile Massage.
Often times due to shock and fear of the sexual contact, a massage client will go into an involuntary “freeze response” to cope with the trauma of the assault. This is a completely normal physiological response because the sexual contact is unexpected, shocking, and the brain was previously attempting to go into a state of relaxation. Due to the “freeze response”, a client sexually assaulted in the massage setting often fails to immediately scream for help or otherwise report an assault. Sometimes victims of sexual assault experience guilt or shame if they did not immediately stop the sexual contact or report it right away. The “freeze response” is a completely normal trauma response and the victims should not feel shame or guilt. It is never too late to report a massage therapist for sexual assault.
If you have a been a victim of sexual assault in a spa or during a massage at Massage Envy, Massage Luxe, Hand & Stone, Essential Massage or any other location offering a massage, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at (954) 641-2100 or send an email to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected]