Houston-area massage parlor agrees to pay $1 million following sexual assault allegations

CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- The owner of three local Massage Envy franchise locations has agreed to pay $1 million, split between two victims.

Lawyers say there were at least two sexual assault incidents reported at the Conroe location.

In fact, lawyers said they believe there may be more victims.

Jose Franco, 53, has been accused of assaulting the two women. He has been charged with felony sexual assault and misdemeanor indecent assault.

Lawyers representing the women said Franco was fired, but it wasn't done soon enough.

"My life will never be the same," one woman who said she was sexually assaulted last year and was later diagnosed with herpes.

The 63-year-old told ABC13 that she was going for a regularly scheduled and had been several times before. She told Eyewitness News the employee recommended she book a 90-minute session because she was "tight" and "tense."

When she arrived for the session, she said the employee flicked the lights off and stuck his fingers inside her. She said he then performed oral sex.

She also believes she was groomed.

According to court documents, another woman had her breasts inappropriately touched.

"Fear was my biggest thing, and my fear was he would hurt me worse if I screamed or kicked him or did something else. If I didn't just lay there, then he would hurt me worse," she said.

The woman who didn't want to be shown on camera wanted to share her story to encourage other sexual assault victims to come forward. She said it took her over a week to report Franco to the police.

"That was a tough decision for me to think that I was putting someone in jail, but then going through counseling, I found out I wasn't putting him in jail, he was putting himself in jail," she said.

Franco is currently out of jail on a $30,000 bond, and is expected to be back in court next month.

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