Massage therapist found guilty of sexually assaulting clients at Charlotte spa
A massage therapist is guilty of sexually assaulting his Charlotte clients at a spa franchise with locations across the country, a jury found earlier this month.
Eugene Gatling, 39, “abused his position of trust and confidence” when he sexually assaulted a client after she fell asleep on the massage table in January 2021, according to a news release from the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.
Gatling worked at Charlotte’s SouthPark Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, a spokesperson for the company confirmed. Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa has five locations in south Charlotte and more than 500 locations in the U.S., according to its website.
The SouthPark location’s franchise owner fired Gatling when the allegations first surfaced in January 2021, a spokesperson said in a statement to The Observer.
All spa guests also have access to an under-the-table “attention button” they can hit if they or the therapists are uncomfortable, the spokesperson said.
Seven months prior, Gatling assaulted another woman at a different location in south Charlotte, according to the release.
The jury found him guilty of sexual battery and second-degree forcible sexual offense. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Felony Special Victims Team trial
The DA’s Felony Special Victims Team convicted two other defendants during its most recent trial Jan. 2.
Donald Clinton, 36, pleaded guilty to habitual misdemeanor assault, and Superior Court Judge J. Thomas Davis sentenced him to 8 to 19 months in prison. Pending completion of 36 months of supervised probation, that sentence will be suspended, according to the news release.
Laquisha Jones, 36, pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, Davis sentenced her to 25 to 42 months in prison. That sentence was suspended pending completion of two years of supervised probation.
This story was originally published January 18, 2024 at 9:49 AM.
