Massage therapist convicted of sexual battery

A former massage therapist was convicted in late October of sexual battery against a client at a Campbell spa, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said a jury found the former masseur, San Jose resident Richard Wayne Slate, 28, guilty of a misdemeanor charge on one client, although crimes allegedly occurred against three women at two separate locations. Slate will be required to register as a sex offender.

Prosecutor Hugo Meza said in a statement:

“This man utilized his position of power to surreptitiously sexually assault his clients. … He would have gotten away with it but for these brave women.”

Two of the women were clients with Slate’s previous employer, Burke Williams in San Jose, but prosecutors said the charge he was found guilty of happened when he was working at Elements Massage in Campbell.

Prosecutors said the 32-year-old victim was assaulted on March 1, 2016. The victim was receiving a massage from Slate when he sexually touched her numerous times without consent.

According to prosecutors, the victim was in shock and didn’t tell Slate anything. After the massage, the victim confronted Slate and he apologized. The victim told the receptionist what occurred and the police were called. Slate was then arrested and lost his massage license after the incident.

Slate will be sentenced on Jan. 2, 2018 in the Hall of Justice in San Jose. Prosecutors are asking for a maximum one-year sentence in jail.

Prosecutors are asking anyone else who might have been victimized by Slate to contact Santa Clara County District Attorney Lt. Investigator Ray Hernandez at (408) 792-2816.