A 28-year-old massage therapist accused of sexually assaulting a client during a session at a Massage Envy in Miami-Dade County still holds an active state license, even after accepting a plea deal in the criminal case against him. Jorge Lugo Rivero was licensed to practice massage therapy in Florida on December 11, 2023, and that license remains valid until August 31, 2027, despite the case working its way through the courts over the past year.
The allegations date back to February 24, 2025, when Lugo Rivero was accused of sexually assaulting a woman during a professional massage at the Massage Envy located at 13721 SW 152nd Street, in Miami-Dade County, according to Local 10. According to the arrest report, he was accused of sliding his hands underneath the victim's underwear during the appointment. Massage Envy fired Lugo Rivero following the incident, the station reported.
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies questioned and arrested Lugo Rivero on December 15, 2025, in the Hammocks area, and prosecutors filed a misdemeanor battery case against him the following day. He was released on a $10,000 bond on December 22, 2025, when a judge also ordered him to house arrest and to stay away from the victim.
A Plea Deal With Adjudication Withheld
Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Urbistondo sentenced Lugo Rivero to probation running through May 4, 2027, after he accepted a plea deal in which adjudication was withheld. Florida Department of Health records show no discipline, public complaints, or emergency actions have been filed against him, and his license remains active while he is under court-ordered probation.
That outcome is possible because of how Florida law treats withheld adjudication differently across its criminal and administrative systems. Under Florida Statute 480.046, a conviction of a crime directly tied to massage therapy is grounds for the Florida Board of Massage Therapy to discipline or revoke a license, according to Online Sunshine. The effect of Lugo Rivero's withheld-adjudication plea on any potential board action is not established here.
Why No Automatic Suspension Was Triggered
Florida's mandatory emergency suspension rules, however, are narrower than the board's general disciplinary powers. Under Florida Statute 456.074, automatic emergency suspensions are reserved primarily for listed felony offenses and prostitution-related crimes, which helps explain why a misdemeanor battery charge with withheld adjudication did not trigger an immediate suspension, per Jones Health Law. The administrative process that would apply to a misdemeanor case like this one is not established in the cited sources.
The state has, in fact, moved more aggressively in other recent cases. The Florida Board of Massage Therapy says its emergency-suspension authority includes immediate suspension after notice of arrests for specified serious crimes and mandatory suspension upon a finding of probable cause involving sexual misconduct, according to the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. That heightened enforcement produced an emergency suspension order against St. Petersburg therapist Henry J. Stafford on March 3, 2026, over allegations of sexual misconduct during client sessions, according to Horowitz Law.
Scale of State Enforcement and Licensing Standards
The Department of Health's Division of Medical Quality Assurance issued 346 emergency orders statewide during fiscal year 2024-2025, including 281 Emergency Suspension Orders. Becoming a licensed massage therapist in Florida requires being at least 18, having a high school diploma or equivalent, and completing a board-approved course or apprenticeship, according to Jones Health Law.
The case adds to a broader pattern of litigation surrounding Massage Envy, a national massage franchise chain. The company has faced civil lawsuits nationwide alleging sexual assault by therapists and claiming franchise operators failed to properly handle or report client complaints, according to Sokolove Law. In June 2025, a separate civil suit was filed against a Massage Envy franchise in Austin, Texas, alleging a therapist sexually assaulted a client during a July 2024 session and that management failed to conduct adequate background screening, according to The Nguyen Injury Law Firm. Whether Hoodline previously covered that Austin case is not established here.
For now, Lugo Rivero remains on probation through May 2027 with his Florida massage therapy license intact, and no additional disciplinary action has been recorded against him.
