MONROE — A former Monroe massage therapist said Tuesday he was the victim of a witch hunt.
Charles Crawford maintained that he accidentally fondled a patient’s genitals during a massage last year at the Well Being Center for Health. He had no answer for the second woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her. A third woman also stepped forward, saying Crawford fondled her in 2015.
A jury in June convicted Crawford of indecent liberties and fourth-degree assault. On Tuesday, Crawford attempted to blame the women for his convictions, calling one of the victims a liar. He later told the judge that he forgave the woman.
Superior Court Judge George Appel wasn’t buying the defendant’s story.
“The jury did not believe you and I do not believe you,” Appel said. “You have done a tremendous amount of damage and you have shown no remorse.”
The defendant interrupted the judge, saying he was sorry.
Appel wasn’t convinced. The judge sentenced Crawford to two years behind bars. Appel ordered Crawford, 69, to serve time for each crime separately.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Langbehn had recommended a high-end sentence for each offense but expected the judge to allow Crawford to serve that time simultaneously, which is the norm.
That isn’t in the best interest of justice in this case, Appel said.
Crawford will have to register as a sex offender.
Defense attorney Karen Halverson told the judge that Crawford has retired from massage therapy and has been trying to relinquish his license.
She had asked that Crawford be sentenced to three months in jail, pointing out that he didn’t have any prior criminal convictions. Crawford asked the judge to send him home, saying he needs to be with his wife.
“It’s unfair. It’s totally unfair,” he said.
A woman first reported Crawford in February 2016. She alerted the center’s manager and the state Department of Health. She also called police.
Crawford was under investigation when a second woman stepped forward in September 2016. The woman and her husband were in the same room getting separate massages when Crawford assaulted her. She reported the incident to the owner, who told the woman she would counsel Crawford again, according to court documents.
“The victim was completely unaware that the defendant was already accused of this behavior with at least one other woman (though the number has grown),” Langbehn wrote in court papers.
One of the women wrote a letter to Appel before Tuesday’s hearing, explaining how the assault has made her leery of male health care workers now.
“I have heard that some people go their entire lives affected by sexual assault to at least some degree,” the woman wrote. “My future regarding the effects of Mr. Crawford’s crime against me is uncertain.”
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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