Massage therapist charged with sexual battery of client

Staff report

Updated on June 26 with additional information from the Sheriff’s Office.

Updated on July 1 with bail amount.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jason Michael Vigliotti, 55, of High Springs, was arrested yesterday for allegedly sexually battering a massage client during an after-hours appointment at a chiropractic office.

The victim told an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that she had been getting massages from Vigliotti at Affordable Chiropractic (1112 NW 76th Blvd.) for about six months, mostly after regular business hours; she said the business was usually closed and locked, and Vigliotti would unlock it so she could go inside.

ASO released the following information on June 26: “The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office has learned that 55-year-old Jason Vigliotti was operating a privately owned business, as a masseuse, where he rented a space inside the Affordable Chiropractic Office to provide services during hours in which the business was not open. It was learned that the victim in this incident was not a patient of the chiropractic office and that this incident occurred during a session booked through Vigliotti.”

The victim said she had noticed red flags before the incident on March 14; for example, she said, Vigliotti sometimes allowed the drapes to slide off, revealing her nude body, and he did not replace them, forcing her to pull them back up to cover herself. She said he sometimes pulled her underwear down for no legitimate reason, and he asked her to remove her bra. She said he did not keep a chart or patient record of her visits, and he only accepted cash or electronic currency as payment. She said she was unfamiliar with massage therapy practices, so she continued scheduling visits with Vigliotti, although she was uncomfortable.

The victim said that on March 14, Vigliotti did not ask her about any problem areas, as he usually did, and when he started using a massage gun, he dragged it across her genitals, applying pressure; she said she did not know at the time that this was not typical or appropriate during a massage. She said he then applied “massage butter” to her genitals and touched her inappropriately, and she felt “frozen” and unable to move.

At one point, she said, Vigliotti asked her whether she would go to the police or “handle it independently” if she needed assistance, and when she said she would handle it herself, he said, “Good girl.” She said he again used his hand and the massage gun to touch her in a sexual manner; she later found that she was bleeding.

He also allegedly massaged her nude torso and said, “You can’t tell anyone.” She said he also said “Thank you” over and over as he touched her sexually. She said he told her at one point that elderly women in the Villages used to “pay extra” for similar sexual acts, and he said several times, “Whatever happens here stays here.”

The victim said the “massage” lasted for over two hours, and when she left, he said she didn’t need to pay for the massage, thanked her again, and stressed that it was important that nobody should find out what had happened during the session.

The detective spoke to a friend of the victim’s who had spoken to the victim right after the incident; the friend said Vigliotti had previously worked for her, and she’d had two complaints that he did not properly secure the drapes over the client’s body. She said one client complained that Vigliotti had touched her in a sexual manner; she said the drapes should never be removed or taken away in the way described by the victim and called this “severe malpractice.”

Post Miranda, Vigliotti reportedly declined to speak with the detective.

Vigliotti has been charged with sexual battery. He has no local criminal history, and Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial. On June 29, Judge Robert Groeb denied the motion and set bail at $150,000, with the condition that Vigliotti not engage in any employment as a massage therapist.

ASO released a statement that said detectives have reason to believe this was not an isolated incident: “If you or someone you know had an encounter with Jason Vigliotti that involved inappropriate conduct during a massage session, you are encouraged to contact Detective C. Bierman at 352-367-4082 or cbierman@acso.us. You will be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.”

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.