Waynesville, MO: Authorities in Missouri have arrested a massage therapist for an alleged sexual assault incident. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged the man who was an active military member from Waynesville.
Gareth Antonio Rentas-Ponce is accused of two misdemeanors, second-degree sexual abuse and second-degree sexual misconduct, and one felony, second-degree sodomy, according to court filings.
The probable cause statement states that on June 30, 2024, a detective with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) was notified of a sexual assault that had occurred on June 28 at the 19000 block of Ladera Road in Waynesville.
The victim claimed that Rentas-Ponce added her as a friend on Facebook, claiming to be a student at a massage school who was giving away free massages at his house in exchange for comments.
The victim stated in a PCSD interview that she had two massages on the bottom floor of Rentas-Ponce’s home. The first meeting went well, but during the second one on June 28, Rentas-Ponce grabbed her improperly and purposefully engaged in sexual activity with her without getting her permission.
The woman claimed that because Rentas-Ponce was in the military and his fiancee was upstairs when the assault occurred, she was terrified to move and shut her eyes for fear of being hurt. After the incident, the victim was able to get up and put on clothes.
According to the Pulaski Sheriff’s Department, several victims reported that Rentas-Ponce had performed similar actions on them while providing massage therapy.
The school that Rentas-Ponce attends stated in court filings that it is against policy for the curriculum to be sexualized as per a local news outlet.
With a $100,000 bond, Rentas-Ponce is presently being held at the Pulaski County Detention Center. He is being tracked by GPS, and he can’t talk to the victim or leave Pulaski County without the court’s approval.