Virginia Beach, Virginia – Colin D. Stolle, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced that Bowen Lee Lajesse, age 47, of the 2900 block of Mars Street in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been indicted by a jury on indictment for was found guilty of sexual object penetration, aggravated sexual violence – physical helplessness and violence as treatment that is not recognized in the profession. District Court Judge Afshin Farashahi, who presided over the two-day trial, will sentence Lajesse on January 23, 2025.

The Commonwealth’s evidence established that the victim booked a massage at the Fuller School for Massage Therapy with Bowen Lee Lajesse on January 29, 2023. Lajesse was self-employed as a massage therapist at Seaboard Wellness Massage, which operated out of the Fuller School of Massage. Although the victim had been a client of the Fuller School several times, she had never had a massage appointment with Lajesse and had never met him before. During the massage, the victim fell asleep and Lajesse sexually assaulted her. When she woke up, she pushed Lajesse’s hand away and stood up on the table. The massage ended abruptly. The victim paid her bill at the front desk and rushed to her car. She called her best friend within 16 seconds of leaving the reception. She also immediately called her mother to tell her about the assault and went to her mother’s house. The victim then told her husband and returned to Fuller School with her husband to confront Lajesse. Lajesse admitted touching the victim inappropriately but claimed there must have been a misunderstanding. He was immediately terminated from Fuller School and a police investigation was launched.

The Commonwealth presented testimony from an expert in massage therapy, the ethics of massage therapy, and accepted forms of massage. She testified that any sexual contact between a massage therapist and a client is unethical and could result in the massage therapist’s license being revoked. She also testified that there is a power imbalance between a massage therapist and a client that makes the clients increasingly vulnerable.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott M. Lang and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Megan M. Lang prosecuted this case. If you would like more information, please contact Macie Allen.