East Valley massage therapist pleads guilty to sex-crime charges involving four women - ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix

[Anne Ryman]

QUEEN CREEK, AZ — An East Valley massage therapist agreed to plead guilty Monday to sex-crime charges involving four victims.

Raul Perez Ochoa, 47, faces five years in prison, lifetime probation and will have to register as a sex offender under the terms of a plea agreement outlined in court Monday.

He agreed to plead guilty to four criminal counts: one count of attempted sexual assault, two counts of sexual abuse and one count of assault with sexual motivation.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop seven other criminal charges, including the more serious charges of sexual assault. Prosecutors indicated in a plea conference earlier this month that they would consider adding a potential fifth alleged victim if the case went to trial.

“What happens now is we cancel other court dates and schedule sentencing,” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Margaret LaBianca said in court.

She sent sentencing for December 6.

Police said the incidents involving four women happened at two different massage businesses.

Queen Creek Police received a sexual assault complaint against Ochoa in October 2022, and Ochoa was fired from that job. Police records say the alleged victim declined prosecution, so they closed the criminal case.

A police report says a detective contacted the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy, which licenses massage therapists but was told in January 2023 the board couldn’t go forward without the complainant testifying. Police records say she declined to participate.

Ochoa continued working, this time at a massage therapy business in Gilbert, according to police reports. In April 2023, Gilbert Police contacted Queen Creek Police with information that they were investigating Ochoa for an alleged incident in February 2023. A joint investigation was launched.

As they were investigating, Gilbert Police said they received another complaint in May 2023. None of the alleged victims knew each other, police said, giving them probable cause to arrest Ochoa.

The Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy is waiting until the criminal case concludes until taking action on Ochoa’s license. He has been in a Maricopa County jail since his arrest and is being held without bond until his December sentencing.

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