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An independent Ohio State University investigation found that an off-campus massage therapist was manipulating and exploiting football players for sex in a scheme that ran from 2018 to 2021, according to a Thursday press release from the university.
The massage therapist’s license was permanently revoked by the state, the press release said. The university’s investigation, which was conducted by a law firm, found that the therapist did not commit any crimes, as all the football players she engaged with were adults and consented to the sex acts, according to a report about the investigation. Athletics staff members at the university were not aware of the players’ interactions with the therapist, and she was not connected to the department, the report said.
The therapist would offer massages to the players or connect with them via social media to build relationships with the athletes, get them in “a vulnerable position” and gauge their interest in sexual activities, the report said. She often refused payment from athletes and “the facts indicate that she seemed to be acting for her own sexual gratification and that she acted alone,” according to the report.
