A massage therapist in Surrey, B.C. has been charged with sexual assault after an appointment with a client last month.
A woman said she was sexually assaulted after receiving treatment from Gudbjartur Bodhi Haraldsson on Nov. 14 at a clinic in the 13700-block of 96th Avenue in Surrey.
“Surrey RCMP Special Victims Unit assumed conduct of the investigation due to the sensitive nature of the allegations,” Mounties wrote in a Thursday news release.
Haraldsson denies the allegation, maintains his innocence and “looks forward to his day in court,” his lawyer, Kevin Westell, told Global News by email.
“Mr. Haraldsson has become the subject of a false and unproven allegation that he acted inappropriately in relation to a patient,” said Westell.
The painPRO clinic Surrey Memorial is located at 96th Avenue and 137 Street and lists Bodhi Haraldsson as a registered massage therapist. According to a profile on the clinic’s website, Haraldsson has been practicing since 1993, served on regulatory board associations, and participated in research.
“Bodhi brings over 25 years of professional clinical and research knowledge to his practice,” it states.
“His clinical experience is wide-ranging and involves being a part of a multidisciplinary team in a rehabilitation hospital, serving as an independent assessor, performing Medical and Rehabilitation Assessments, as well as working with professional and amateur athletes.”
Global News has reached out to painPRO Surrey Memorial for comment.
Haraldsson, 50, was arrested and charged on Nov. 25. He was released on conditions that he does not provide any personal or professional therapeutic services to anyone who identifies as a woman, Surrey RCMP said.
Mounties released a photo of Haraldsson to “further the ongoing investigation,” and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 604-599-0502 and ask to speak to the Special Victim’s Unit.