A St. Albert massage therapist already charged with one count of sexual assault is now facing seven more counts.
Rizaldy Parreno, 45, was initially charged in August. RCMP received an initial complaint in July from a woman who said she had been sexually assaulted during an appointment.
Since then, seven more counts of sexual assault have been laid against Parreno, St. Albert RCMP said in a news release Wednesday.
There could be more victims, police said, and urged any potential victims to come forward.
Parreno has been released from custody with conditions and is set to appear in court Oct. 18.
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Additional charges have been laid against a St. Albert massage therapist.
Back on July 24, a woman reported to RCMP she was sexually assaulted by her massage therapist during her appointment.
After investigation, Mounties charged 45-year-old Rizaldy Parreno with one count of sexual assault in August.
As police continue to comb through evidence, more victims came forward.
Parreno now faces seven additional sexual assault charges.
The man was released from police custody with conditions and is set to appear in court on Oct 18.
The St. Albert Victim Services Unit continues to assist in the investigation and encourages any any other victims to come forward.
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If you have any information on this crime or any other crime, you are asked to contact the St. Albert RCMP. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers.
Cases from St. Albert Provincial Court on Sept. 19
Massage therapist pleads guilty to sexual assault
A St. Albert massage therapist who fondled clients’ breasts during massage appointments pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault at St. Albert Provincial Court on Monday.
Rizaldy Parreno, 46, pleaded guilty to four of eight sexual assault charges on Sept. 19.
Sentencing for Parreno has been adjourned until Jan. 23, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. to allow for completion of a pre-sentence report and a forensic assessment report. The reports will address underlying mental health pathology, assess risks to the community, and offer potential treatment options.
Parreno was originally charged with sexual assault by police after a woman contacted RCMP on July 24, 2021, according to St. Albert RCMP.
The woman reported she had been sexually assaulted by her massage therapist during an appointment. RCMP arrested Parreno after an investigation.
On Sept. 29, 2021, St. Albert RCMP stated Parreno had been charged with seven additional counts of sexual assault.
Man gets house arrest in heroin bust
A man who sold heroin to undercover officers was sentenced in St. Albert Provincial Court on Monday.
On Sept. 19, Judge Michéle Collinson sentenced Curtis Mackintosh, 39, to a two-year conditional sentence for one count of possession of property under $5,000 and an 18-month conditional sentence for one count of trafficking a controlled substance to be served concurrent to the first sentence, and 100 hours of community service.
The sentence was issued through a joint submission by the Crown and defence counsel.
On Oct. 20, 2021, the St. Albert RCMP drug unit was assisted by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) and Drug Undercover Street Team (DUST) in purchasing drugs from Mackintosh, according to the agreed statement of facts.
Through a telephone number, undercover officers arranged to purchase 3.5 grams of heroin for $400 at a fast-food restaurant near Kingsway Garden Mall in Edmonton.
After undercover officers purchased the heroin, St. Albert RCMP arrested Mackintosh and a woman. Officers searched Mackintosh and found a small amount of crystal meth, and the money used by undercover officers to purchase the heroin, court heard.
Mackintosh has a lengthy criminal record, but the early guilty plea was a mitigating factor.
Collinson said she gave Mackintosh credit for the steps he was taking to reach sobriety, as he has a job and is taking sublocade, a monthly injection used to treat opioid use disorder, to address his substance use issues.
“Your record is quite aggravating … it indicates to me that you’ve created quite a bit of jeopardy for the community … I suspect directly related to your addiction issues. I’m really pleased to hear that you’re addressing those issues,” she said.
A massage therapist is facing a growing number of charges.
Dean Cherneske, 60, was charged with one count of sexual assault after a complaint in late April.
“A female youth reports she was sexually assaulted during a massage session at a home massage therapy business,” Strathcona County RCMP said in a release.
Since the RCMP issued the release and asked for others to come forward, police have identified another 13 victims, ranging from six to 68-years-old.
The Sherwood Park massage therapist is facing 11 more counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference.
Cherneske has been released from police custody with conditions and is set to appear in court on Wednesday (June 29).
“Strathcona County RCMP continue to believe there may be additional victims and encourage those individuals to come forward.”
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Additional charges have been laid against a St. Albert massage therapist.
Back on July 24, a woman reported to RCMP she was sexually assaulted by her massage therapist during her appointment.
After investigation, Mounties charged 45-year-old Rizaldy Parreno with one count of sexual assault in August.
As police continue to comb through evidence, more victims came forward.
Parreno now faces seven additional sexual assault charges.
The man was released from police custody with conditions and is set to appear in court on Oct 18.
The St. Albert Victim Services Unit continues to assist in the investigation and encourages any any other victims to come forward.
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If you have any information on this crime or any other crime, you are asked to contact the St. Albert RCMP. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
EDMONTON –
A St. Paul massage therapist has been charged with sexual assault after two of his clients came forward to police.
Layne Whelen, 23, is facing two counts of sexual assault.
On June 4, Mounties in St. Paul received a complaint from a client of Whelen’s alleging a sexual assault during a massage therapy appointment.
Police say a second client came forward with a similar allegation on June 8.
St. Paul victim services has been in touch with the victims.
Whelen has been released with conditions. He is scheduled to appear in St. Paul provincial court on Nov. 18.
Police believe there could be other victims and ask for anyone with information to come forward.
From staff reports
A massage therapist has been accused of sexually touching a client, according to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
William Albert Taylor, 48, of 100 Hilton St., Glendale, has been charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to an arrest warrant.
Lt. Tony Ivey said in a written statement that a deputy initially took a report of the incident on March 8, and it was assigned to the department’s special victims unit.
Investigators found that Taylor, a licensed massage therapist, had illegal sexual contact with the victim during a massage therapy session at Waterfalls Wellness, 103 Hilton St., Glendale, Ivey said.
Taylor used his hand and fingers to forcibly touch the victim in a sexual manner, Ivey said.
Third-degree criminal sexual conduct usually involves a victim who is “mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless,” according to the statute. Authorities felt this was the appropriate charge due to the fact that the assault took place during a massage therapy session, Ivey said.
Taylor was arrested Wednesday and released later in the day on a $10,000 bond.
A person convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct faces up to 10 years in prison.
