District attorney’s office: former massage therapist exhibiting ‘predatory behavior’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Assistant district attorneys in Davidson County are asking that a judge revoke the bond of a former Nashville massage therapist charge with sex crimes or block all his access to the internet following a Georgia woman’s claims that he asked to massage her last month.

Tarek Mentouri posted a $500,000 bond in August after agreeing to bond conditions, including having electronic blocks on his devices to prevent him from accessing sites like Craigslist and Facebook.

A series of News4 Investigations exposed that for years women in Middle Tennessee filed police reports and complaints with the state that Mentouri had sexually violated them during massages and job interviews, yet he was never arrested or had his license taken away.

Following the News4 Investigations, Mentouri then had his license revoked and is now facing 19 criminal counts, including rape and sexual battery.

Mentouri was allowed to move to Duluth, GA, to care for his ailing mother pending his trial and was also required to wear an ankle bracelet.

On Tuesday, the district attorney’s office filed a motion to revoke Mentouri’s bond or completely block his access to the internet based on a woman’s claim to police in Duluth, describing it as “predatory behavior.”

That woman, Diane, spoke with News4 Investigates but asked that we not reveal her last name, citing concerns for her safety.

Diane said she met Mentouri through a singles group on the Next Door app, a social media site that was not blocked in the original bond conditions.

Diane said as she started texting with Mentouri, he began to ask if he could massage her.

In text messages included in the DA’s motion, Mentouri texts to Diane, “Massage is my passion, so I had to ask LOL.”

“He seemed very keen on concentrating on my feet, and there was a sexual aspect to it,” Diane said.

Diane said she did not know at the time about Mentouri’s troubles in Tennessee.

“Did he ever mention to you that his license was suspended in Tennessee? Did he tell you anything about what had happened in Tennessee?” News4 Investigates asked.

“No. He talked about that he had been very successful in his practice,” Diane said.

While the Georgia Secretary of State’s website shows that Mentouri surrendered his massage license in the state, Diane said he made it clear what he wanted to do after they met for coffee.

“In fact, he wanted to leave with me right then and give me a massage,” Diane said. “I just couldn’t believe that he wasn’t behind bars. It was just inconceivable to me that someone could still be doing the same things in another state and just get away with it.”

News4 Investigates repeatedly reached out to Mentouri for comment, and late Tuesday received a rambling text message in which he claimed he was gay and therefore not guilty of the accusations.

Mentouri has new legal counsel on the criminal charges, but that attorney did not respond to News4′s request for comment.

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