Chattanooga masseur who lost license for filming client may have more victims, police say - WTVC

[Mary-Beth Mangrum]

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Chattanooga Police say a masseur who lost his license after admitting to secretly filming his female client undressing may have more victims.

Kenneth Spears was fired from his job at Massage Envy at Hamilton Place in Chattanooga after the revelations came to light.

"We are here today to consider the summary suspension of the massage license of Kenneth L. Spears,"

Earlier this year, Tennessee's licensing board concluded Spears was guilty of "unethical or unprofessional conduct," fined him $1,000, and and took away his license.

But as of Tuesday, Chattanooga Police say Spears still does not face any criminal charges, while officers continue to gather evidence and look for more potential victims.

"CPD is investigating a case linked to Massage Envy. There are multiple victims. At this time, we are actively investigating the matter. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we are unable to release further details."

This case started last September, when a Massage Envy client said "she had a weird feeling" while she was undressing for her massage, according to a police report our newsroom obtained. It says

..as she looked around the room, she noticed a cell phone was hidden in the the room with the camera facing her. She stated that, at this stage, she had fully undressed and would have been completely exposed to this camera. [The woman] observed the cellphone camera hidden in a cubby in the room, behind the towel warmer. [The woman] recorded this and then proceeded with the massage, stating she did not know how to confront the suspect at this time.

The woman told police she was "very attentive" during Spears's massage for any inappropriate contact, but did not note any.

At the end of her massage, the woman said she looked and "found the phone was again hidden in the same place."

She started recording on her own phone, and found that the suspicious phone was "recording a video which would have showed her as she got up and got dressed."

The woman then stopped the recording and deleted it, as well as the previous recording showing her getting undressed. She also tried to locate deleted files in the phone's trash folder, but wasn't familiar enough with the phone to find it.

Then, the woman said she confronted Spears, and asked him to delete the footage in his trash folder. The report says

Mr. Spears apologized for his actions and complied. In [the woman's] recording of this interaction, Mr. Spears can be seen deleting the two videos of [her], as well as five other unidentified files.

The woman then reported the incident to Massage Envy staff, who contacted the business's owner.

That owner, Brooke Goodyear, confirmed this report to officers, and said she confronted Spears about it.

She stated she spoke with Mr. Spears and asked him if he had recorded any other clients, and he stated he had but would not disclose who.

Upon hearing that, Goodyear fired Spears from Massage Envy and reported him to the state licensing board.

Based on what Spears admitted to Goodyear, and based on the files that the woman said she deleted from Spears's phone, the police report says

..it is reasonable to conclude that other victims are currently outstanding.

We reached out to both Spears and Massage Envy for comment, but have yet to hear back.

If you think you might have been secretly recorded by Spears, Chattanooga Police want to hear from you. Call them at 423-698-2525.

Depend on us to keep you posted on this developing story as we learn more.