Alleged massage parlor attacker says he can't afford lawyer - lehighvalleylive.com

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A Monroe County man accused of attacking a Nazareth masseuse can't afford to pay his lawyer and wants to apply for a public defender.

Police said an attack by 27-year-old Frantz Matthew Bernard Jr. of Tobyhanna sent a topless masseuse running out of Green Massage Spa shouting for help on May 13, 2015.

Bernard allegedly lay down naked inside the spa at 162 Bath-Nazareth Highway in Nazareth, then started touching the masseuse inappropriately as she massaged him.

When she asked him to stop, he allegedly forced her to perform sex acts on him.

When she pulled away, he grabbed her by the neck, dragged her across the room and punched her in the face at least 20 times, police said.

Man assaults, forces Nazareth masseuse to perform sex acts, court records say

She feared for her life and fled, police said. Bernard grabbed her shirt and pulled it off as she managed to get away, police said. Bernard allegedly drove away before police arrived.

Court papers filed Tuesday say Bernard can't afford to pay his lawyer, Hillary A. Madden. She represented him at his preliminary hearing in July, when Bernard was ordered to stand trial for aggravated assault, simple assault, indecent assault, unlawful restraint and harassment.

Bernard plans to apply for a public defender and wants permission to have Madden removed as his lawyer, the papers say.

Bernard rejected a plea deal offered Sept. 3, according to the online court docket.

Rudy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.

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