HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A former massage therapist from a Massage Envy location in Hollywood was extradited to Broward County Thursday after a previous client came forward to police, claiming she was sexually assaulted by him during a visit.
According to the suspect’s arrest report, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2021, and was later reported to police. The arrest report was filed on May 13, 2022.
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A public defender who spoke at Friday’s bond court hearing said Danis Delgado, 47, moved to Texas sometime last year.
According to his arrest report, the victim told Hollywood police that she removed her clothing, with the exception of her underwear, prior to the massage and then was covered with a sheet and towels.
She said the massage seemed normal for the first 30 to 45 minutes, but then said it got “weird” when Delgado asked if he could massage her inner thigh.
According to the police report, the victim consented, but Delgado kept getting closer to her vagina and then slipped his hand underneath her underwear and began to rub her clitoris.
The victim told police that she felt “frozen” and that when allegedly asked by Delgado if she liked it, she told him she had a boyfriend.
The victim claimed that Delgado then began to look at her vagina underneath the sheet and made a comment about it before touching her again.
“The victim told Danis she was good and wanted to leave,” the arrest report stated.
According to the report, the victim stopped at the front desk briefly to inquire about how many points she had acquired on her account and then left without mentioning the alleged assault.
Police said she told them she didn’t mention it to staff members because she felt uncomfortable, but then decided to report the alleged incident to the police department after speaking about it with a friend and her boyfriend.
Police said she also contacted the Department of Health.
According to the arrest report, Delgado denied the woman’s claims and said she even left him a $10 tip on the table. The victim told police she did not leave gratuity.
Police said the victim said she showered after she got home because she felt “disgusted,” and a sexual assault kit showed “insufficient male DNA” found in a vaginal swab. However, police say a DNA swab taken from her underwear and a DNA swab taken from Delgado provided “moderate support” that Delgado had touched her vagina.
Delgado was later arrested on charges of sexual battery and sexual misconduct in the practice of massage therapy.
He appeared in bond court Friday morning, where a judge ordered that he be held in lieu of a $26,000 bond. He was also ordered not to provide any professional massages in any state.
“Massage Envy is committed to promoting a safe environment for members, guests and service providers at each of the approximately 1,100 franchised locations nationwide,” a spokesperson for Massage Envy said in a statement Friday. “We urge anyone who experiences anything other than a safe, quality massage to report it immediately to the franchised location so that it can be investigated.
“We cannot comment on pending allegations or litigation involving any independently owned and operated franchised location. For more information please visit the Commitment to Safety section of our website at https://www.massageenvy.com/about-us/health--and-safety/commitment-to-safety.”