CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – In February, 5 On Your Side looked into a case about a massage therapist who was convicted of sexual assault.
Bethany Steevens saw the story and wanted to share her own.
"I actually started running because I got divorced," Steevens said. "I decided that I was finally going to take care of myself."
After Steevens ran her first mile without stopping, she decided to reward herself with a sports massage at the ‘Face and the Body Spa & Salon’ in Chesterfield. She said the massage therapist sexually assaulted her.
"He put his hands underneath the sheet, underneath my underwear, and touched me inappropriately without my consent," she said.
Steevens said she instinctively sat up.
"He motioned for me to lay back down and went, 'Shhh,'" Stevens said.
She said, after he was done, he gave her a business card.
"Said that he makes home visits," Steevens said.
She said he walked her to the front desk.
"I'm still very much just in shock and he's standing over me as I fill out my tip," she said.
She left the building.
"Sat in my car for a really long time," she said.
Then, she went to the police station. It took two years for the case to go to trial.
"Getting grilled by a defense attorney is not very fun," she said. "You get to answer questions about what you were wearing. Why were you wearing that underwear? Can you describe what cheeky underwear looks like? Why did you decide to wear that color underwear? Were you wearing a bra? Why didn't you even have your bra on? Why did you get divorced?"
In 2016, Sean Strickland was sentenced to five years in prison.
"You see a man who hurt you in handcuffs, there's a therapeutic aspect to that," Steevens said.
Still, the alleged assault affected her. She said she was diagnosed with PTSD in 2017.
"I was having panic attacks in public," she said. "I was crying in public."
Wednesday, Steevens learned Strickland is out on parole.
"I feel a little bit of anger," she said.
She decided to share her story to reach other survivors. She encourages survivors to contact Safe Connections for help.
"It was not your fault and regardless of whether you come forward or not, there is a community of women who are here to stand with you and support you," she said. "You don't have to suffer in silence."
The owner of the ‘Face and the Body Spa & Salon’ said she fired Strickland as soon as she found out about the accusations.
