A luxury hotel masseur said a client made him uncomfortable. She said he molested her
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UPDATE FROM MARCH 23, 2022: No charges were filed against James Scopetta.
The closeout memo from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office notes the two different accounts of what happened.
Then, it says, “There is no surveillance footage within the spa. There have been no previously reported incidents with this Defendant. There are no other witnesses to the incident. Without more, the State does not believe the case can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, the State took no further action.”
The online profile of Scopetta’s massage license, which he’s held in Florida since 2017, shows no disciplinary actions filed.
ORIGINAL STORY, POSTED FEB. 5, 2020: A masseur at a Sunny Isles Beach oceanfront hotel spent a night in jail after being accused of sexual battery during a massage.
James Scopetta, a 34-year-old Hallandale Beach resident, posted $7,500 bond Wednesday.
The massage session in question occurred Monday at the DoubleTree Resort & Spa by Hilton Hotel Ocean Point-North Miami Beach, 17375 Collins Ave. The woman told police Scopetta began rubbing her breast and genitals.
This ended the massage.
When Sunny Isles Beach detectives talked to Scopetta on Tuesday, he denied it. He told police he felt the woman was attracted to him and she wanted more of an erotic massage. That, he said, made him uncomfortable.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 6:13 AM.
