Fort Collins masseur faces charges of sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact

Update, April 2023: The man charged in this case died, and the criminal case has been closed, according to the Weld County District Attorney's Office.

Original: Charges of sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact were filed against a Fort Collins masseur earlier this month, and investigators believe he may have inappropriately touched other clients during massages, according to a Fort Collins Police Services news release.

The charges — including one Class 4 sexual assault charge, two Class 4 felony charges of unlawful sexual contact and one misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual contact — stem from a pair of massages performed on different people in February and June at Massage Heights in Fort Collins' Front Range Village, police say. Massage Heights had not responded to the Coloradoan's request for comment as of 11 a.m. Friday.

After Fort Collins police were notified by two different people of inappropriate sexual contact during these massages, detectives investigated the masseur — 27-year-old Michael Murray — and formal charges were filed against him earlier this month.

Detectives are working to confirm if Murray was employed at other local massage businesses and say there could be unreported incidents of inappropriate touching. Anyone who experienced inappropriate incidents or who has additional information regarding these cases is asked to call Detective Julia Chenoweth at 970-416-2645.

Murray is set to appear for a hearing in Larimer County on Jan. 24.

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All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins masseur charged with sexual assault, unlawful contact