Massage therapist sexually assaulted clients, officials say. He’s going to prison
Multiple women came forward and said they were sexually assaulted by a Virginia Beach massage therapist, city officials say. Now he’s going to prison.
Malik Williams, 29, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by circuit Judge Stephen Mahan following more than a year’s worth of investigations and court time. Williams was found guilty in a four-day jury trial in late June. His charges include sexual penetration with an object and aggravated sexual battery.
Williams had pleaded not guilty during his trial, according to the court case details.
His attorney, Daymen Robinson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.
The Virginia Beach Police Department received a report in April 2022 from one of Williams’ clients who said she she was sexually assaulted during her massage appointment, according to a Virginia Beach commonwealth’s attorney’s Sept. 18 news release. Virginia Beach detectives then reached out to other clients of Williams, city officials say.
In the process of contacting other clients, multiple women told detectives they were sexually assaulted by the masseuse, according to the release. Williams was arrested in August 2022, according to WAVY.
Later, when detectives interviewed Williams, city officials say he “admitted to the sexual conduct.” In his admission, Williams said most women had consented to his advances, which he received through “the way the women looked at him,” the release says. He also told detectives, “Sometimes I don’t gauge it right.”
A former boss of Williams said her staff was shocked to hear of the allegations and never received complaints about Williams, the outlet reported.
During the trial, the commonwealth’s attorney’s office brought in an expert on massage therapy to discuss the ethics of how to provide appropriate massages, the release says. Sexual contact is not an ethical aspect of massages, the expert said in the trial, and creates a power imbalance between the therapist and client.
There are plans to appeal the case Robinson told WAVY.
This story was originally published September 19, 2023 at 9:26 AM with the headline "Massage therapist sexually assaulted clients, officials say. He’s going to prison."
