A woman went to a Nashville massage therapist in 2019 only to have a terrible experience with a “creep, weirdo, and predator.”
In a video with more than 35,000 views, @xoxmirandaa explained how she went to a five-star massage parlor only to realize that she had a male massage therapist in an unprofessional home who gave her stalker vibes. She moved to Nashville with the help of her sister and was “utterly exhausted” from carrying boxes around. They both decided that they wanted to get a massage in the area.
@xoxmirandaa looked on Google for a studio nearby and landed on a place with great reviews that she ultimately contacted.
What happened with this massage therapist?
Before she went into her appointment with “transcendent massage,” as she remembers it, she went to an automatic texting link that asked her a few preliminary questions. The massage therapist on the other side of the line said that he could get her into the parlor “within the next 30 minutes.” She wanted to request a massage for two people, herself and her sister, but that wasn’t available at that time. She got an address and decided to go without her sibling at around 7 p.m.
The moment she went into the parlor, she says she felt a weird energy. It was in a residential area rather than a commercial one, which immediately threw her off.
“My immediate gut feeling was, this is weird[,] and I didn’t listen to that,” she said in her video. She persisted and knocked on the door to a house in the area.
@xoxmirandaa explained how the massage therapist answered, giving her a strange feeling because he wouldn’t make direct eye contact and instead stared off somewhere else entirely.
They proceeded with the appointment. The massage therapist gave her an extremely small towel, leaving the room for a second to get ready. He explained that “most of his clients prefer to use [a towel that big].”
The massage therapist offered zero other tangible options for her to use during the appointment. He also didn’t place a sheet on the massage table, which made @xoxmirandaa speak up: “I’m not doing a massage unless there’s a sheet [on the table].” Begrudgingly, the man got a sheet for her.
It gets worse
Feeling uncomfortable, she got into her bra and underwear and got onto the table. In the meantime, @xoxmirandaa texted her sister, letting her know that something was off about the appointment and sent her location over.
It took a turn for the worse after that point. The appointment started, and as he was massaging her, he started moaning. As he was massaging her neck and face, he started to tell her that she had a beautiful face.
After that, he proceeded to “breathe” on one of her feet and lean toward them in an attempt to touch her more aggressively. At one point, she thought he was going to “suck” on one of her toes. She got off the table and got dressed “as fast as [she] could,” speeding home in her car, thinking he could be following her because of how terrifying the experience was.
After that, she went to Yelp to review the location. “SOS, do not go here, this guy attempted to suck my toes.”
How did people respond to the Yelp review?
Around “20 different women” messaged her back saying they had a similar experience and that the massage therapist either sexually assaulted them or touched them inappropriately in other places back in 2019. It’s unknown just how many women experienced some sort of inappropriate behavior while seeking his services, but many others recounted a similar encounter to @xoxmirandaa.
Two years after @xoxmirandaa’s encounter with the man, he was arrested. Tarek Mentouri pleaded guilty to “three felony counts of sexual battery, two misdemeanor assault/provocative contact charges and one misdemeanor charge of criminal impersonation.” Nineteen different women came forward to help testify and put him away for six years.
According to an article published prior to his arrest, Mentouri would “use the internet to lure women to his home.” A woman filed a claim against Mentouri as early as 2017. Throughout 2018 and 2019, he would continue to assault women under false pretenses.
“I had different FBI detectives calling me, asking me to give a statement. I did go in and give a statement. They’ve been calling and giving me updates for years,” @xoxmirandaa added.
What’s the best way to stay safe when seeking beauty services?
It’s hard to know how to stay safe when placed in a vulnerable position, especially when seeking something like a massage. Having a plethora of good reviews online can give a false impression of professionalism, putting many people in harm’s way.
One commenter bluntly advised, “If it’s weird from the start[,] just leave. Don’t let it play out. You should have known better,” but the reality is, it’s hard to know better or to get out of a situation that’s already feeling unsafe.
Many women who do try to leave situations that feel dangerous are assaulted or killed while attempting to flee, even early on in an uncomfortable encounter. The best thing to do is to try to get away once something feels off, but it’s also good to keep in mind that not all dangerous situations are immediately apparent.
Women like Sarah Everard, who took safety precautions while walking home, took “the right steps” but still ended up in a precarious, deadly situation. Ultimately, the best way to stay safe is to continue to practice good habits like location sharing and updates with friends and family. However, it’s difficult to shame a woman for not knowing a situation is unsafe before ending up in it.
@xoxmirandaa Story time…. Please be aware of CREEPS, WEIRDOS, and PREDATORS ??♀️ #storytime #massagetherapist ♬ original sound – xoxmirandaa
The Mary Sue has reached out to @xoxmirandaa via TikTok direct comment for updates.
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