Massage therapist accused of sexual battery on client in Coral Springs convicted

A massage therapist formerly employed at a Coral Springs studio has been convicted of sexual battery stemming from a private session at his home, records show.

A jury found 44-year-old Jonathan Schwartz guilty of sexual battery without great force and false imprisonment, just over two years after he was accused of inappropriately touching a client.

Schwartz’s attorney, Scott Simmons, told the Coral Springs News on May 27 that he’s working on a motion for a new trial that will be filed in the coming days, adding prosecutors brought up improper arguments during their closing statements.

He said he doesn’t believe there was enough evidence to convict his client, and if the motion for a new trial is denied, they’ll file an appeal.

The incident in question happened in April 2024, when a woman reported to Coral Springs police that she went to Schwartz’s home for an appointment after he stopped working at Elements Massage, a large chain with a Coral Springs location, according to an arrest affidavit.

Police said they later learned Schwartz had been fired for “failure to adhere to our safety and drapery practices,” and that two client complaints had been lodged against him at work.

The victim said Schwartz gave her five to 10 massages while he worked for the business, then he gave her his contact information and they arranged a massage session at his house in Coral Springs, according to the affidavit.

The woman recalled to police that Schwartz gave her a massage for about 40 minutes before he “began inappropriately touching her,” investigators wrote in the report.

She tried to move, but she said Schwartz put his hand on her chest to keep her down and told her it was OK. She told police she didn’t feel like she could leave, which led to the false imprisonment charge against him.

She said he removed his hand after she closed her legs and told him to stop, but he moved her hand to his genitals, and she was afraid of protesting further, according to the affidavit.

Afterward, he gave her a towel to wipe off his bodily fluids and told her the massage would be free, she recounted to police.

She got dressed and left, then later brought her clothes to the police department, at which point a crime scene investigator tested a stain on her leggings and got a positive result for the presence of semen.

The woman said she texted Schwartz twice after the incident, saying she “didn’t appreciate” what he did and asked him what his thought process was. Police wrote in the report that he didn’t respond.

A couple weeks after the victim reported the incident, another woman provided a statement to investigators saying Schwartz touched her inappropriately while he worked at Elements Massage. The judge ruled prosecutors couldn’t present this information to the jury.

The jury found Schwartz guilty of both charges the state pursued on May 21. If he’s not granted a new trial, his sentencing is scheduled for July 10.