WINNIPEG, CANADA — A spa owner and her employee are facing extortion and other charges after allegedly sexually assaulting and blackmailing a man.
CBC reports that 29-year-old man was at Simi Magic Spa in Winnipeg for a business meeting with its owner, Simple Mehta.
Mehta had yet to arrive, so her employee, 22-year-old Pam Sandu, offered him a massage while he waited. Instead of giving him a relaxing treatment, however, the man says Sandu sexually assaulted him and videotaped the entire thing.
Sandu then threatened him with the footage, saying the video would go online unless he paid her money. The man was forced to pay thousands of dollars before he decided to report the incident to the authorities.
Mehta and Sandu are in police custody. Mehta was charged with extortion, procuring, and conspiracy to committing an indictable offense. Sandu is facing charges for extortion, voyeurism, sexual assault, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense.
The man’s ordeal was not an isolated incident, and authorities speculate that other criminal activity may have been occurring at the establishment.
Police reportedly previously received information about the spa and already had the facility on their radar. According to Global News, the spa is not a member of the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba, and none of the employees are licensed massage therapists.
