A Pasco County civil jury said a former massage therapist and the company he worked for should pay $47.4 million to a woman who was sexually battered during a massage, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The therapist, Raul Delarosa, pleaded to charges last year, agreeing to 10 years probation and the loss of his state license. He also registered as a sex offender, according to the Times.
In the civil trial, testimony showed that Essentials Massage and Facials of Wesley Chapel failed to perform a background check on Delarosa, who had been fired from three previous jobs, the Times reports. The victim was awarded $420,000 for past and future damages, $12 million for past and future pain and suffering, and an additional $35 million from Delarosa in punitive damages, according to the Times.
