Women testify at trial of massage therapist accused of sexual assault

Two women testified Wednesday in Las Vegas about unwanted sexual encounters they had with the same massage therapist during separate incidents in 2013.

James Brian Goins faces charges of sexual assault, open or gross lewdness, and sexually motivated coercion in the criminal case. He has surrendered his massage therapy license.

"He took advantage of his position with his clients — a position where you already have the right to touch people in a certain way, but the defendant took that to a-whole-nother level, and he committed the crimes charged," Deputy District Attorney Leah Beverly said during her opening statement to jurors.

The first victim, a 33-year-old mother of two young children, said she met Goins in summer 2013 through a business networking organization. She had her own photography business at the time, and Goins offered to trade services with her.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal generally does not identify victims of sexual crimes.

On July 29, 2013, according to the victim's testimony, Goins called and told her he had an opening in his schedule. The woman said she was experiencing a migraine at the time and decided to accept.

"My whole life I've been getting professional massages," she testified.

She said Goins then gave her the address for his home studio in Las Vegas. After she arrived, he asked her to disrobe and stepped out of the room. She took off her clothes and climbed under a sheet on his massage table.

The woman said nothing unusual occurred during the first half of the massage, when she was lying on her stomach, but she noticed a change in the music after she rolled onto her back.

"It was not relaxing, and it was not massage music," she said as she started to cry.

She said Goins asked her whether she had breast implants, and she told him she did. He then asked whether she wanted him to massage her breasts.

The woman said she did not find that unusual. Her implants sometimes feel tight, and other massage therapists have massaged them in the past.

"It's not sensual," she said. "It's not sexual."

She said Goins made her uncomfortable when he began massaging her stomach. She said he then began moving his hands up her thigh before using his fingers to sexually assault her.

The woman said she never told Goins to stop.

"I was scared, and I was frozen, and I didn't know what to do," she said before grabbing a tissue to wipe her eyes.

She said Goins then began performing oral sex on her.

The woman said she summoned the courage to ask Goins what time it was and told him she needed to go. She testified that he then told her, "No, you're not done yet. I have a surprise for you, and that was not it."

She said the surprise was an apricot foot scrub, and when he finished, he watched her get dressed.

The woman said she went home and told her parents, who live with her, what had happened. They called police.

A 54-year-old mother of two took the witness stand next and told jurors she met Goins at the Massage Heights franchise at 10420 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson.

She said he gave her a normal massage the first time, but when she returned on Aug. 6, 2013, they discussed her breast implants, and he offered to massage her chest. The woman said she declined.

The witness said she had taken medication earlier that day and was drifting in and out of sleep during the massage.

"I woke up to a pinch on my nipples," she said.

The woman said she sat up, but Goins pulled her shoulders back and told her, "You're not done yet." She said he then began touching her legs and tried to stick his hand in her underwear.

She said she quickly ended the massage, dressed and left the business.

On cross-examination, both victims were asked about lawsuits they have filed against Goins and Massage Heights.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Find her on Twitter: @CarriGeer