Legally blind massage therapist facing felony indecent liberties charge

Editor's Note: Charles "Chuck" Crawford was featured in a November issue of the Monroe Monitor. In the interest of transparency, the article can be viewed here.

Monroe massage therapist Charles Crawford has been charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with a felony count of indecent liberties, with additional charges pending, after three victims reported inappropriate touching during the course of a massage.

Crawford, who is legally blind, has been a licensed massage therapist at the Wellbeing Center for Health in Monroe for nearly a decade. The 68-year-old Monroe-area resident first came under scrutiny of the Monroe Police Department in February of this year, after a client reported inappropriate touching during the course of a 90-minute massage. Then, in September, two additional victims came forward to report similar incidents. Crawford was taken into custody on Sept. 15 and booked into Snohomish County Jail. He was released on his own personal recognizance.  

The police are asking that anyone with additional information about these incidents contact the department at 360-794-6300 or the tip line at 360-863-4600.    

Charges were filed on the February incident on Sept. 7

All victims have requested anonymity.

During the February incident, the victim, 41, reported that the inappropriate touching allegedly occurred as Crawford was massaging her leg and inner-thigh area. According to court documents, the victim was “in shock and disbelief and was not sure what to do.” She advised police that the initial illicit contact lasted for approximately 60 seconds. She wondered briefly if the contact was unintentional, but then it allegedly happened a second time as he massaged her other leg.

According to documents, she told police that Crawford whispered in her ear that her “perfume smelled wonderful.”

She told police that she had had massages in the past and described the incident with Crawford as “creepy and frightening.” She told police she used a fair amount of force to prevent Crawford’s hands from going underneath the sheet as he worked on her chest area. He repeatedly came uncomfortably close to her breasts, according to documents.

The victim reported the incident to Wellbeing Center for Health owner Patti Glenn and the Washington State Department of Health.

When Monroe detectives contacted Crawford, he first denied the inappropriate contact but then admitted that it may have occurred, according to documents. Later review of a letter directed to the Department of Health by Crawford revealed that he was aware the touching had occurred. According to court records, Crawford “reiterated that the touching was in performance of his job and that any touching would have been unintentional.”

On September 12, another victim, 38, reported inappropriate contact during the course of a couple’s massage that took place on Sept. 6. She and her husband were receiving massages at the same time; her massage was performed by Crawford while her husband’s was given by one of Crawford’s colleagues.

According to police documents, Crawford allegedly first made the inappropriate contact while massaging her inner thigh, similar to the way the inappropriate touching was described in the February incident. She described further alleged inappropriate contact occurred while he massaged her chest.

The incident was reported to Glenn, who told the alleged victim that Crawford had vision issues and that “she would counsel him again,” according to a news release. Glenn had Crawford complete an incident report, in which he admitted that inappropriate touching had occurred during the course of his chest work. Crawford wrote that when he reported the incident to Glenn, she informed him that the client had been very upset.

“I felt sick that I had caused her distress. I am so sorry,” wrote Crawford. 

During the investigation of the second incident, a third victim was discovered, who also reported inappropriate touching by Crawford during the course of a massage.