Cops: Massage therapist sexually assaulted patient | News - yoursun.com

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VENICE — A Venice massage therapist is facing charges of committing sexual battery on a patient he was hired to assist, according to reports released Wednesday.


Deputies arrested Mark Douglas Elliott, 64, of the 400 block of Appian Way, Venice, early Wednesday, and he remained in the Sarasota County Jail without bond on Wednesday afternoon.


A family hired Elliott in April as a massage therapist, records show. The victim has a traumatic brain injury which renders her physically incapacitated, deputies said.


As a result, she requires 24-hour nursing care and outpatient therapies, which include massage therapy. She is paralyzed down the right side of her body, which makes her entirely dependent on others to move.


She also suffers from cognitive delays and short-term memory loss, according to court records.


The victim told deputies Elliott sexually battered her from January to May 2020 during scheduled visits.


Elliott asked the victim not to tell her mother, his wife, or other nurses about what was happening, according to records.


She told deputies incidents occurred every session for approximately two to three months. She struggled to remember exact details, due to her diagnosis of memory loss, but was able to recall the last incident, documents show.


In May, while her family was distracted packing up to move to Michigan, Elliott sexually battered her, the victim told deputies. The victim told deputies it was not the first incident, but struggled to remember other dates.


Deputies received letters from the victim's psychologist, which state she has "severe physical and cognitive limitations" and "is completely dependent on her mother and staff for all daily wants and needs."


The psychologist explained to deputies she has the emotional and cognitive functioning of a young teen, requiring vigilant support to keep her healthy and safe, the affidavit states.


The victim's nurse since 2016 stated she saw Elliott giving the victim "awkwardly long hugs," and requested he give her high fives instead, the affidavit states.


Deputies said due to the victim's cognitive and physical state, she is unable to consent to sexual activity, and that Elliott knew about it and took advantage of it.