Man charged with assaulting massage clients near Walker - WOODTV.com

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TALLMADGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A message therapist has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting two of his clients at his office near Walker.

Jason Mitchell, 40, of Sparta, was arraigned Wednesday on two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Bond was set at $10,000 and the sheriff’s office said it was posted.

When approached by News 8 at his office on Lake Michigan Drive west of Walker, Mitchell would not comment on the charges.

Jason Mitchell answers the door at Aether Elements Massage Therapy on Lake Michigan Drive on Feb. 11, 2022, but declines comment.

The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office says a woman reported in late December that on Nov. 2, Mitchell touched her inappropriately during a massage at Aether Elements Massage Therapy on Lake Michigan Drive near 8th Avenue in Tallmadge Township.

“And then, detectives, through the investigation located a second female who had been inappropriately touched at the business,” Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department Captain Jake Sparks said.

Sparks said the second incident also happened on Nov. 2.

“We just wanted to reach out now and see if there’s any other females who may have been inappropriately touched while having their massage done at that business,” he said.

“Many of these clients had been multiple time recipients of massages, either through that business or through other businesses, so they know what a normal, typical massage look like,” Sparks said.

The investigation took three months before charges were brought.

While the victim’s experience with past massage sessions convinced them they’d been touched inappropriately, it still took time for detectives to build their case, researching licensing requirements and massage therapy instructors.

“The detective in this case were very thorough,” Sparks said. “They were able to find that this is not part of the training. This is not part of a normal massage, and what I would call out of bounds and inappropriate.”

Mitchell is a licensed massage therapist. The sheriff’s office said it has been in contact the with state licensing agency. That licensing agency told News 8 on Friday that it does not comment on active investigations.

The sheriff’s office added it continues to investigate whether anyone else was assaulted. Anyone with information is asked to call the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at 616.738.4000 or Silent Observer at 877.887.4536.

~ News 8’s Joe LaFurgey contributed to this report.