Georgia officials urge caution: Verify massage therapist credentials before in-home appointments

State officials advise caution with in-home massage hires

FOX 5 was first to report the arrest of a massage therapist in Coweta County for sexual battery and child molestation after being hired by a family for an in-home appointment. The Georgia Secretary of State?s Office has advice for consumers on how they can protect themselves.

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A man hired for an in-home massage therapy session is now facing serious criminal charges after authorities say he sexually assaulted a child during the appointment.

Timothy Eng was arrested in Coweta County after a 13-year-old girl accused him of molesting her during a massage. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, Eng is not a licensed massage therapist.

What they're saying:

"Massage therapy is therapy that can be used by anybody for rehabilitation, car accident recovery, physical injury on a sports field. It’s all important," said Gabriel Sterling with the Secretary of State’s Office. "So, there’s not really an age limit. But parents need to use some common sense and make sure to protect their children and their home."

Officials are now urging Georgia residents to take precautions before scheduling massage services, especially in-home visits.

"If you don’t have that kind of time, a couple of things are common sense," Sterling said. "By law, they have to display their license with their picture. And even if you are hiring to bring one into your home, by law they should be displaying one with their picture."

What you can do:

The Secretary of State’s website allows the public to search for licensed massage therapists and view any disciplinary actions filed against them. 

Big picture view:

Court records show Eng’s name does not appear in the state’s database of licensed practitioners.

What's next:

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.