Massage Therapist Charged With 2nd Sex Assault At Brick Spa

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A second sexual assault charge has been filed against a massage therapist who worked at a Brick Township massage spa, the Ocean County prosecutor's office announced Saturday.

Jonathan Higgins, 28, of Toms River, was arrested Friday, Aug. 2, and charged in a separate incident that happened May 21 at the Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa in Brick with another victim, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Higgins is accused of committing "an act of penetration" on a female customer while giving her a massage on May 21, Billhimer said.

He had been arrested and charged with sexual assault on June 27, two days after he allegedly assaulted another female customer.

Higgins had worked at the Brick location since March 2017 and was removed from the schedule in June when the spa was notified of his arrest, Jack Bachinsky, vice president of marketing and advertising for the company, said at the time Higgins' initial arrest was announced. The spa is cooperating fully with the police on the investigation, he said.

"Before his arrest on June 27th, the spa was unaware of any incident involving Mr. Higgins," Bachinsky said in an emailed statement. He said Higgins passed a background check completed by the local spa and was also given and completed specific Code of Ethics training.

Higgins was licensed by the state, which also performed a background check as a requirement for massage licensing, and his license was current at the time he was hired, the statement said.

Friday's second arrest of Higgins resulted from the continuing investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Brick Township Police Department.

Higgins was arrested and processed at Brick Township Police Headquarters and is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Anyone who has information or who feels they may be a victim to please contact Detective Nicole Testa of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027 or Detective Timothy McCarthy of the Brick Township Police at 732-262-1100.

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