DURANT — Police are investigating complaints from women who say they've been fondled while getting a massage at a Durant spa owned by a former Bryan County sheriff.
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Massage therapist Jon Livingston, 60, has been accused of touching women's breasts and genitals during full body massages at the Total Indulgence Spa, which Livingston owns. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.
Several women have made similar accusations against Livingston, Police Chief Gary Rudick said. In one police report, a woman accuses Livingston of attempting to perform oral sex on her while giving her a massage. Massage therapists don't have to be licensed and aren't regulated in Oklahoma.
Livingston, who was Bryan County sheriff during the late 1980s, stepped down from that post for an unsuccessful bid for a state Senate seat in 1987. He has denied the allegations.
"It's absolutely groundless and unfortunate,” Livingston said before referring all questions to his attorney, who did not return calls seeking comment Friday.
The 26-year-old woman filed a police report Dec. 8 claiming she was sexually assaulted by Livingston. The woman said she was told to remove all of her clothing except her underwear and lie on a massage table. During the massage, the woman claimed Livingston touched her breast, but "she had never had a massage before and was not quite sure what was appropriate,” according to the police report. She told police Livingston had removed her underwear during the massage and placed his mouth near her genital area.
The woman told police she "immediately jumped up and told him to get out. She said he then said, ‘I'm sorry,'” and left the room, according to the police report.
Rudick said several women have come forth and made allegations against Livingston. Rudick has asked the state attorney general to assign a special prosecutor to the case because there could be a conflict of interest in asking the local district attorney to review it.
"We are continuing to investigate this allegation and want to assure our citizens that offenses of this nature are serious and will not be taken lightly,” Rudick said. "We have an obligation to objectively investigate allegations to determine the truth of the events for the sake of both victims and any alleged suspects in these matters.”
Rudick said the investigation should be complete in the next few days and turned over to a prosecutor for review.
