Winter Park massage business owner charged with sexual battery - WESH

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The owner of a Winter Park massage business has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting one of his clients.His state license has also been suspended as a result of the patient’s complaint. Ronel Michael Gutierrez Galvis was ordered Friday by a Judge to be held on $17,500 bond on three charges of sexual battery, including coercing the alleged victim, battery and permitting an unlicensed person to practice massage. Police allege Guterrez Galvis used his business, Romich Massage and Spa on Minnesota Avenue, to assault at least one man, who reported the incident to police. That led to the Florida Department of Health issuing an emergency suspension of his license. In the state report obtained by WESH 2 Investigates, "on or about September 20, 2024, Mr. Gutierrez Galvis provided massage therapy services to patient "B.F."… a 24 year old male patient." "Mr. Gutierrez then rubbed his groin area" and performed various acts, which prompted the state to write that he "willfully abused his position as a massage therapist to sexually violate a patient who trusted him." “He's doing as well as he can be, said one of the alleged victim’s attorneys, Jessica Travis. She says her client never met Gutierrez Galvis before the lone encounter, and he said he was horrified to be molested.“So to have a person in that position of power and control assault somebody in that type of sexual way is just somewhat unbelievable," Travis said. Winter Park police say they talked with the alleged victim in this case and then spoke with Gutierrez Galvis on Thursday. After that conversation, he was arrested.His attorney, Jose Garcia, told WESH 2 Investigates, "We obviously deny any allegations at this time and we are just beginning to work on my client's defense, so we have no further comment." Although Romich Massage and Spa shows at least one other therapist working at the massage business, the door was bolted, and no one answered when we showed up. The alleged victim has filed a petition for an injunction to keep Gutierrez Galvis away from him. A hearing on that motion is set for later this month. According to the arrest affidavit, Gutierrez Galvis is listed as a Venezuelan citizen, which his attorney, Garcia, declined to discuss when asked if he was concerned that his client might be deported.

WINTER PARK, Fla. —

The owner of a Winter Park massage business has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting one of his clients.

His state license has also been suspended as a result of the patient’s complaint.

Ronel Michael Gutierrez Galvis was ordered Friday by a Judge to be held on $17,500 bond on three charges of sexual battery, including coercing the alleged victim, battery and permitting an unlicensed person to practice massage.

Police allege Guterrez Galvis used his business, Romich Massage and Spa on Minnesota Avenue, to assault at least one man, who reported the incident to police.

That led to the Florida Department of Health issuing an emergency suspension of his license.

In the state report obtained by WESH 2 Investigates, "on or about September 20, 2024, Mr. Gutierrez Galvis provided massage therapy services to patient "B.F."… a 24 year old male patient." "Mr. Gutierrez then rubbed his groin area" and performed various acts, which prompted the state to write that he "willfully abused his position as a massage therapist to sexually violate a patient who trusted him."

“He's doing as well as he can be, said one of the alleged victim’s attorneys, Jessica Travis.

She says her client never met Gutierrez Galvis before the lone encounter, and he said he was horrified to be molested.

“So to have a person in that position of power and control assault somebody in that type of sexual way is just somewhat unbelievable," Travis said.

Winter Park police say they talked with the alleged victim in this case and then spoke with Gutierrez Galvis on Thursday. After that conversation, he was arrested.

His attorney, Jose Garcia, told WESH 2 Investigates, "We obviously deny any allegations at this time and we are just beginning to work on my client's defense, so we have no further comment."

Although Romich Massage and Spa shows at least one other therapist working at the massage business, the door was bolted, and no one answered when we showed up.

The alleged victim has filed a petition for an injunction to keep Gutierrez Galvis away from him. A hearing on that motion is set for later this month.

According to the arrest affidavit, Gutierrez Galvis is listed as a Venezuelan citizen, which his attorney, Garcia, declined to discuss when asked if he was concerned that his client might be deported.