Nashville man arrested after allegedly raping client during massage
According to the affidavit, the 37-year-old is sexually assaulted the victim during the massage at a spa.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Metro Nashville Police Department arrested a licensed massage therapist for reportedly raping a client over the weekend, according to an affidavit.
Police said that the victim went to the Escape Day Spa & Salon on Sunday for a massage with 37-year-old Julius J. Hamilton.
The woman told police Hamilton began touching her irregularly. The arrest report said Hamilton first groped her and then slid his hands down the woman’s body to sexually assault her.
She told police she “reacted negatively,” and then Hamilton stopped, according to the arrest report.
Initially, Hamilton denied any wrongdoing during the service. However, according to the affidavit, after being told that they were going to test for DNA, he admitted to the assault in a conversation with detectives.
Hamilton told police he “became overzealous” after seeing the woman’s naked body during the massage, according to the affidavit.
Hamilton was charged with rape and jailed at the Downtown Detention Center in Nashville. He is being held for DNA testing, and his bond was set at $75,000, per the sheriff’s office website.
WSMV has reached out to Escape Day Spa & Salon multiple times to see if Hamilton is still employed by the business and is asking what steps are being taken to protect other customers.
Escape Day Spa & Salon owners responded with the following statement:
“For more than 20 years, Escape Day Spa has been a trusted member of our community, built on a foundation of professionalism, safety, and respect for every client we serve. We are deeply saddened and disturbed by a recent incident involving one of our massage therapists and a client.
We take any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously. Upon learning of this matter, we immediately terminated the employee and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities. This individual was properly licensed, thoroughly vetted a few months ago at the time of hiring, and had over 10 years of professional experience elsewhere without any prior incidents. However, any behavior that violates our standards and values is wholly unacceptable and will never be tolerated.
Our thoughts are with the client affected by this incident. We are committed to supporting them in any way appropriate and to ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone who enters our spa.
While this incident does not reflect who we are as a business, we recognize the seriousness of the situation and remain dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care, professionalism, and accountability.
Out of respect for the individuals involved and the ongoing process, we will not be providing additional details at this time."
WSMV found records showing Hamilton has been a licensed massage therapist in Tennessee since 2015. His record with the Department of Health did not show any prior complaints or violations.
In a now-deleted Instagram post from another business where Hamilton used to work, the business said he moved from Memphis to Nashville in 2020. The business confirmed Hamilton only worked there for a couple of months, but would not say why he left.
If you’re curious, there’s an easy way to look up whether your massage therapist is licensed by the state board. Just head to the Tennessee Department of Health website, and you can look up a therapist by name or other information.
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