Regional Industry & News

Omaha massage therapist faces additional sexual assault charges after 18 more women come forward

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - After an Omaha massage therapist was arrested and charged in September with allegedly sexually assaulting a client, 18 more women have come forward with similar accounts, according to police.

Roland Nieves, 68, is charged in two different cases with a total of eight counts of 3rd-degree sexual assault - a misdemeanor. He was arrested again on Tuesday after previously posting $500 bond in September.

The Omaha Police Department affidavit alleges the following:

In September, a woman disclosed to investigators she had received a massage from Nieves which resulted in non-consensual sexual contact. Nieves was arrested Sept. 15, and OPD sent out a message to local media asking if anyone else believed they were a victim to come forward.

“Over a two-week period, (Reporting Detective) spoke with 18 additional women who shared their stories as they believed they had been assaulted by Roland. They provided similar stories of how Roland would progressively push the boundaries of the massages,” the report states.

Many of the women who spoke with police said they did not come forward earlier because they believed Neives, who is a licensed massage therapist in Nebraska, “had a unique take on massage therapy and many of them convinced themselves that they were making abig deal about nothing.”

The women told police they did not think something was wrong until they talked with others about their experiences and then chose not to go back to the salon to avoid Nieves and embarrassment.

Nieves record shows no disciplinary information on his license according to the State of Nebraska website.

Nieves has pleaded not guilty to the first case of one charge of sexual assault and has demanded a jury trial. He is expected back in court Nov. 13 in that case. A future court date for the seven other charges has not been set as of Tuesday afternoon.

If you believe you are a victim, or may have information that may be relevant to the case, you can contact OPD’s Special Victims Unit at 402-444-5636.

Anyone with information can also contact Omaha Crime Stoppers anonymously at 402-444-7867, via the Omaha Crime Stoppers website, or via the P3 Tips mobile app.