South Okanagan massage therapist resigns after sending explicit texts during treatments

A Naramata massage therapist has surrendered his licence after he admitted to sending sexually explicit text messages while he was in the middle of massaging patients.

The College of Massage Therapists of B.C. had issued a one-month suspension to Jeremy (Brent) Rowland and put conditions on his practice, however, Rowland chose to resign his registration, Dec. 9.

According to a Dec. 6 College decision, Rowland signed a consent agreement admitting to sending "explicit" and "intimate" text messages while conducting treatments in October 2018.

Rowland also admitted to having a mirror in his massage treatment room from 2003 to 2019 and the mirror resulted in one or more patients "perceiving" that he may have viewed their exposed body in the mirror.

"He also admitted that from about 2003 until about 2019, he engaged in draping practices which on one or more occasions caused the exposed bodies of one or more female patients to be exposed to Rowland’s view while the patient was turning over on the massage table," the decision reads.

In June 2020, the College prohibited Rowland from treating female patients while the investigation was underway.

In finding Rowland had committed professional misconduct the College suspended his licence for one month and only allowed him to massage a patient if another registered massage therapist was in the room for a period of one year.

He was also barred from having a mirror in the treatment room.

While Rowland agreed to the conditions, he ultimately resigned.

"He is now a former registrant," the decision says.

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