WAYNE, NJ — A Wayne masseuse had his license revoked recently following several allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, officials said.
Pedro “Chris” Castillo is permanently barred from working as a massage therapist in New Jersey under an agreement he entered into with the New Jersey Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy.
Castillo previously had a massage practice in Wayne and worked at a spa in East Rutherford. During that time, several women, including one 19-year-old, have accused him of sexual misconduct and contact.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Castillo would “intentionally and inappropriately” expose these women during the sessions, grope their intimate body parts in a sexual manner, and rub his private parts on them. In one instance, he solicited sexual contact from a client by putting her hand on his erect penis, officials added.
“No one should ever have to fear being sexually exploited by a massage therapist. Individuals who seek massage therapy should be able to trust they will be treated with dignity and respect – nothing less,” said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. “My office will hold accountable anyone who exploits that trust and puts clients in grave danger by taking advantage of them sexually while they are at their most vulnerable.”
The New Jersey Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy found Castillo’s behavior violated state law through “engaging in gross negligence that endangered the health and safety of his clients, repeated acts of negligence, and professional misconduct,” among other things.
In addition to losing his license permanently, Castillo is ordered to cease and desist from all client contact at any location and from rendering any type of massage services. This includes a ban on training student masseuses.
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