Fake massage therapist sexually assaulted women who bought Groupons, California cops say
A man accused of posing as a massage therapist and sexually assaulting multiple women who bought his services on Groupon has been arrested and charged, California officials say.
Christopher Scott Preston, who owned 360 Wellness and Consulting, claimed to be “a licensed massage therapist” and listed his services for “lymphatic drainage massages” on Groupon at a discounted rate, San Diego police said in a Sept. 17 news release.
During scheduled massages, Preston is accused of sexually assaulting “several women,” police said.
So far, three women have accused Preston of sexual assault, court documents show.
Groupon didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Sept. 18.
In a statement to KNSD, the company said, “the safety and well-being of our customers are of utmost importance.”
The company also said it has removed Preston’s promotion from its platform, adding that it will refund any unused vouchers, the outlet reported.
McClatchy News was not able to reach Preston for comment.
Preston, 55, was charged with five felonies, including sexual battery and sexual penetration, court documents show.
Preston pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday, Sept. 13, Tanya Sierra, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, said in an email to McClatchy News.
If convicted as charged, Preston could potentially face a maximum prison sentence of 11 years, Sierra said.
Preston was released from jail on supervised own recognizance under the conditions he wears “a GPS monitor, stay 100 yards away from his place of work, not perform any in-person professional services, and have no contact with the victims,” according to Sierra.
He is expected to appear in court again on Monday, Sept. 23, Sierra said.
Lt. Dan Sayasane told Patch that Preston has been running a similar business since 2018, adding that the police department is seeking additional victims.
“In a lot of these cases, the victims are either embarrassed to come forward, not knowing if that’s part of the massage or not,” Sayasan told KNSD. “But we want people — if you’re concerned about what happened with you, please come forward and talk to our detectives so we can figure it out.”
An investigation is ongoing, according to police. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 619-531-2210.
This story was originally published September 19, 2024 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Fake massage therapist sexually assaulted women who bought Groupons, California cops say."
