A Johnson County massage therapist who lost his license three years ago over sexual inappropriateness with clients is facing new criminal conviction-related charges for resuming practice with a suspended license.
In September 2020, the Iowa Board of Massage Therapy issued an emergency order suspending the license of a Darryl Dodd from Tiffin. At the time, he was accused of not meeting the minimum standard of acceptable and prevailing practice for a massage therapist.
The board alleged that in the fall of 2017, while massaging a female client, he removed the sheet covering the client, exposing the woman’s breasts. He then touched her breasts and made comments like, “You’ve got a nice rack on you,” and, “Can you imagine if someone walked in now, what sex position would this look like?”
In 2019, he reportedly gave a massage to another woman and touched her pubic area without her permission, commenting on how “nice” and “fit” she was. He reportedly later contacted the woman and offered to teach her a procedure that “gets guys super excited” and “really gets guys ready.”
According to the board, Dodd is said to have told a female client in an email, “I became very concerned when I exposed your breast tissue.” He reportedly told investigators that after exposing the woman’s breasts, he “sounded like a perverted teenager with Tourette syndrome and I couldn’t bring myself to shut up”.
During the council’s investigation, Dodd is said to have told investigators, “Am I being aggressive if I get close to the private areas?” Yes, guilty as charged, but I do it because I know the results I get are much better than the results that don’t.
He was also accused of telling investigators, “I am what some would consider aggressive with my techniques because they are on or near the private property.”
The emergency suspension of Dodd’s license led to a hearing at which the board charged Dodd with unethical conduct and professional incompetence and suspended his license for a minimum of five years.
Last August, Coralville police charged Dodd with running a massage therapy business without the required license from the city. Court records show that Dodd claimed he only practiced reflexology at the clinic, which did not require a license, but police alleged that he advertised massage therapy services at his business, through email communications, and through an online program used to book appointments. books. After a trial, he was found guilty and fined $105.
The Iowa Board of Massage Therapy recently charged Dodd with a felony conviction directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the profession. A hearing on the case is scheduled for September 5.
Clark Kauffman is deputy editor of the Iowa Capital Dispatch. He has experience as an investigative reporter and editorial writer with the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times.
