COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Police detectives said Friday they are investigating more than a dozen more complaints from potential victims of a man already accused of sexually assaulting two women while giving them massages.
Robert Battle, 46, was charged last week in 3rd District Court in two separate cases with three counts of unlawful massage therapy, all misdemeanors; and sexual battery, also a misdemeanor.
Battle, who recently graduated from a local massage therapy school but was not licensed, allegedly touched and massaged the genitals of two fellow massage therapy students in separate incidents while giving them massages to practice techniques, according to police and prosecutors.
One incident happened in November 2008, and the other happened last month.
"We feel there are more victims," said Cottonwood Heights police detective Beau Babka.
At least three more women have been interviewed and said they were inappropriately touched while receiving a massage from Battle, and at least 10 more had contacted police and were waiting to be interviewed Friday afternoon, he said.
The two incidents Battle was charged with happened at private residences including his own house. All of the women are either former colleagues at the school or women he met while working as a personal trainer at a South Jordan fitness club.
"He is taking advantage of his personal trainer position and massage experience, luring these women into odd situations," Babka said.
Police had been looking for Battle for a week, talking with him and his attorney about surrendering. Babka said Battle was uncooperative and investigators believed he was on the run, possibly out of state.
But in a twist of events, Battle showed up for his scheduled court hearing Friday morning on the charges against him. He was ordered by a judge not to have any contact with his victims and released to pretrial services, according to court records. A pretrial conference was scheduled for Sept. 10.
Battle was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail just before 11 a.m. and immediately released to pretrial services.
Anyone who believes he or she was a victim or has information on Battle can call police at 801-840-4000.
e-mail: preavy@desnews.com