Unlicensed massage therapist charged with sexually assaulting client in New Windsor
He is charged with felony attempted unauthorized practice of a profession, forcible touching and harassment.
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Police say a Queens man is facing multiple charges after allegedly posing as a massage therapist and sexually assaulting a client at a New Windsor spa.
Authorities say 32-year-old Yong Wang, of Flushing, was arrested Wednesday — one day after a client reported being assaulted at the Foot Spa on Temple Hill Road. Investigators say Wang was not licensed to practice but was working as a massage therapist anyway.
He is charged with felony attempted unauthorized practice of a profession, forcible touching and harassment.
Some people in the community told News 12 they were surprised to hear about the allegations, saying the business seemed legitimate. Others said they had concerns about how some local spas operate.
“It’s not right. It’s kind of creepy… It’s kind of weird,” said Yann Glasek, of Cornwall.
One woman, who did not want to give her name, said she was “a little surprised to hear because they seem like a legitimate business” and that “a lot of people go there.”
When News 12 went into the spa, a worker put her neighbor on the phone to translate. That neighbor, Ta Lin, said people who know Wang were shocked.
“They were very, very surprised that he was accused of that actually,” Lin said.
Police say this is their first case involving Wang but that he had previously been deported. He is now being held in Orange County Jail on a deportation hold and $7,500 cash bail. He’s due back in court next week.
This arrest is the latest in a series of local spa busts dating back years. In February, five people were arrested on charges of promoting prostitution and unlicensed work during a raid that shut down Vivi Spa for code violations.
Anyone with information about similar encounters with Wang is asked to call New Windsor police at 845-565-7000.
