2 women allege sexual assault in suit against massage therapist, business

Two women claim they were sexually assaulted by the same massage therapist during separate incidents in 2013 in Southern Nevada.

The women filed a lawsuit Friday in Clark County District Court against Massage Heights Corporate, a limited liability company, and the massage therapist, Brian Goins. The women filed the complaint anonymously, using the fictitious names Jane Doe and Jane Roe.

“Goins’ conduct was outrageous and so extreme as to exceed beyond all possible bounds of decency and to be utterly intolerable in a civilized community,” the lawsuit alleges.

According to the lawsuit, Goins was arrested and faces criminal charges in District Court. The court’s records show that a defendant named James Brian Goins is awaiting trial on felony charges of sexual assault and coercion, and gross misdemeanor charges of open or gross lewdness.

A woman who answered the phone Wednesday at Massage Heights’ corporate office in San Antonio said the company had no comment on the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs, who are represented by Las Vegas attorneys Nadia von Magdenko and David Korrey, also filed an application Friday for permission to proceed with the lawsuit using fictitious names.

Doe, 56, has a public career and is the divorced mother of two children, according to the application.

Roe, 33, is the married mother of two young children. Both she and her husband “routinely deal with the public,” according to the application.

“Public exposure to them of these incidents not only subjects each of them to public humiliation, but also directly impacts their families,” the document alleges.

“Public exposure may also endanger their respective health and safety as it is possible some persons might become aware of their identities and seek to similarly engage in such conduct against them in that neither physically resisted Goins.”

Von Magdenko said both women, identified in the lawsuit only as residents of Nevada, testified against Goins at a preliminary hearing in Henderson Justice Court.

According to the lawsuit, Doe went to the Massage Heights franchise at 10420 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson on Aug. 6, 2013, for a massage.

“As part of his job duties, Goins touched and massaged Doe’s naked body,” according to the lawsuit. “As he continued, in addition to massaging Doe’s body, he also sexually molested and sexually assaulted her body by uncovering and touching her exposed breasts and performing other offensive sexual acts.”

The woman dressed and left the facility as quickly as she could, according to the document.

“She was upset and disturbed as she made her way back to her vehicle because of these acts,” the lawsuit alleges. “She was even coerced by the front office staff to actually leave a tip for Goins though it was clear she was emotionally upset and distraught.”

After reporting the incident to the other defendants and “receiving no assurance” that they intended to take any action against Goins, according to the lawsuit, Doe reported the incident to police and the Nevada State Board of Massage Therapists on Aug. 9, 2013.

The board’s website indicates that James Goins, who was originally licensed in July 2011, has surrendered his license.

A woman who answered the phone Wednesday at the Eastern Avenue franchise said owner Deanna Serio was out. The woman took a message, which was not returned. Deanna and Anthony Serio are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

According to the document, the incident involving Roe occurred on July 29, 2013, after she went to Goins’ home massage studio in Las Vegas.

The lawsuit alleges Goins had presented a business card that identified him as a Massage Heights therapist, and Roe confirmed this employment before arriving at his home studio.

During the massage, according to the lawsuit, Goins “sexually molested and sexually assaulted her body by uncovering and touching her exposed breasts, touching and massaging her genitals, penetrating her vagina with his fingers and eventually performing oral sex on her as well as performing other offensive sexual acts.”

After the massage, the lawsuit alleges, Goins “hindered her departure by locking the door, hiding her jewelry and insisting that she drink bottled water he attempted to provide her.”

“He only released her from the home when she insisted on leaving, but only after he watched her getting dressed,” the document alleges. “She was shaking uncontrollably as she made her way back to her vehicle.”

Von Magdenko said the woman reported the incident to Las Vegas police the day it occurred, but they did not make an arrest.

A spokeswoman said Henderson police arrested Goins, 53, in January 2014 on a lewdness charge.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants “negligently employed Goins even though he was a sexual predator” who intended to use his massage therapist license “to facilitate these activities.”

For at least six months before July 2013, the lawsuit alleges, one or more “officers, directors and/or managing agents” of Massage Heights franchising knew that female clients “were suffering sexual assault and battery and gender violence during massages” at Massage Heights and Massage Envy sites, but Massage Heights Corporate hid the crimes from law enforcement, licensing authorities and its clients.

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