Roseville massage therapist charged in sexual assault of longtime client -...

[massage]

“What happens in this room stays in this room.”

That’s what a massage therapist said to his client moments after sexually assaulting her during a session at his Roseville business this fall, authorities say.

Gary Lee Sarppo, 59, was charged Wednesday with one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in the alleged conduct after police arrested him at Massage Rejuvenation this week, according to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court.

Sarppo is a licensed massage therapist in the city and works solo in the business he owns at 2499 Rice Street, court records say.

One of his longtime clients went there for a massage Sept. 23 and was about 45 minutes into a two-hour session when she said Sarppo began working on her hip area, the complaint said.

He then made the unusual request of asking the 43-year-old client to flip onto her back, which is when the sexual assault took place, according to the woman’s statement to investigators.

Sarppo penetrated the woman’s vagina for about 30 seconds in an “aggressive” manner that caused the woman to feel pain, the complaint said.
In response, the woman started to sit up, prompting Sarppo to ask, “Do you want me to stop?” the woman said, according to legal documents.

When she said told him she did want it to stop, he went back to his usual massage techniques before whispering in her ear, “What happens in this room stays in this room,” the complaint said.

The woman told investigators she felt scared and shocked and didn’t initially know how to respond.

After the massage, Sarppo told the woman he’d apply her gift certificate to cover the charges, the complaint said.

When the woman responded that she didn’t have one, Sarppo said, “I know. I will take care of it,” according to legal documents.

Once back in the lobby, the client informed Sarppo that he wouldn’t get away with the uninvited conduct.

He allegedly responded that nothing like that had ever happened before and said his behavior wasn’t premeditated, the complaint said. He added that he had been under a lot of stress.

Police arrested Sarppo at work Tuesday.

In his interview with investigators, he reportedly acknowledged touching the woman’s genital area but wouldn’t say whether the conduct was intentional. He denied that penetration took place, legal documents say.

He described the incident as a “misunderstanding” based on “flirting” and “body language, the complaint said.

No one answered the phone Wednesday afternoon at Massage Rejuvenation.


Sarppo was in custody at the Ramsey County Jail on Wednesday afternoon and could not be reached for comment.

His criminal history includes three convictions for drinking and driving related offenses in 1991, 1992 and 2001.

No attorney was listed for him in court records.

He is expected to make his first appearance on the sexual misconduct allegations Tuesday afternoon.

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