Martin County Sheriff's Office detectives said there may be more victims in the case of a Jensen Beach massage therapist accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. They've received calls from potential victims and are in the process of completing interviews and should have an update next week.
After reports Thursday night, a woman reached out to WPTV NewsChannel 5's Tory Dunnan saying she was one of the victims, who had filed a report with MCSO. Understandably, she didn't want to show her face and wanted her voice disguised to protect her identity. She said she felt compelled to talk to encourage others to come forward.
"You are in a very vulnerable position, where you are basically half-naked, and you are sitting there just hoping for a good massage or pain relief as I was hoping for," she said. "To have something like that happen, it’s unnerving, to say the least. You freeze up. You don’t know what to do. You just want to get the hell out of there."
The woman said she is one of Joseph Correia's clients and was touched inappropriately during a massage at the Pink Cottage Natural Day Spa in Jensen Beach. She said she'd been to him a few times before, but it was always a couple's massage. The last time, she told us that she was alone in the room with him.
Correia is a licensed massage therapist with no criminal history but is now charged with sexual battery.
Detectives have identified at least 3 victims and say there are possibly more women who he touched in a sexual manner during services at the Pink Cottage Natural Day Spa.
His attorney said his client invoked his 5th amendment rights and has entered a not guilty plea.
"Some false allegations have arisen that have led to the arrest of my client, Joseph Correia. He is innocent of any claims that have arisen against him and he plans to vigorously fight these false charges in the court of law," said Joshua Deckard, a defense attorney.