A Selden spa employee was arrested Sunday after allegedly forcibly touching a woman during a massage at a Middle County Road business, Suffolk County police said.
The incident occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. at W Foot Relaxing Spa, located at 1070 Middle Country Road. Police said a 27-year-old woman was receiving a massage when the employee inappropriately touched her while she was lying on the table.
The woman told the employee to leave the room, then left the business and went directly to the Sixth Precinct in Selden to report the incident, according to authorities.
Following an investigation by Sixth Squad detectives, police arrested Li-Yong He, 52, of Levittown. He was charged with Forcible Touching and Unauthorized Practice of a Profession.
He is being held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, April 27, at First District Court in Central Islip.
Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of He to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers.
Forcible Touching is a misdemeanor under New York law and involves intentionally touching another person for sexual gratification without consent. Unauthorized Practice of a Profession is also a criminal offense, typically charged when a person performs services requiring a license without proper authorization.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Update: An anonymous post on the Middle Country Moms Facebook Group explained the situation. While unconfirmed, this post seems to directly reference this incident.
Photo: SCPD.
