Masseuse Found Guilty Of Attempted Rape Of Northwestern Student

SKOKIE, IL — A Chicago man has been found guilty of groping a woman during a massage at an Evanston spa. A Cook County judge Wednesday convicted the masseuse of criminal sexual abuse and attempted criminal sexual assault but acquitted him of a more serious aggravated criminal sexual assault charge, according to the Evanston Review. His sentence could range from probation to seven years in prison, along with sex offender registration.

Kai Wang, 33, of the 3600 block of South Archer Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood, was arrested Oct. 14, 2016 at Art of Health, 1638 Orrington Ave. in Evanston, after a woman reported he had touched her inappropriately during a massage.

The prior day, a 20-year-old Northwestern University student told police her massage therapist had reached under a towel and touched her breasts, buttocks and vagina. She said she tried to leave but Wang restrained her by wrapping his arms around her, lifting her off the ground while again grabbing her breasts.

Prosecutors charged Wang the next day with two counts of criminal sexual abuse and two counts of sexual assault. Soon after, a manager at the spa reportedly said Wang had done nothing wrong. After posting $5,000 bond and being released, Wang remained an employee at Art of Health. After his conviction he was ordered held without bond at Cook County Jail while he awaits sentencing.

Wang requested a trial before a judge instead of facing a jury. Associate Judge Lauren Edidin said she did not believe Wang's story but found the victim's testimony credible, noting that she had gone directly to police to report the assault, the Evanston Review reported.

Wang's attorney had argued the woman was angry about the massage she received, pointing out he had provided police with a video of the massage in question. However, the video was reportedly missing about two minutes of the incident.

Earlier: Massage Therapist Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman at Evanston Spa