San Diego Massage Therapist At World-Renowned Spa Facing Sexual Assault Charges

A massage therapist at one of Del Mar’s most famous spas is facing sexual assault charges after pleading guilty to the allegations by one of the facility’s former clients.

NBC San Diego reports that the woman, who is known only as Jane Doe, filed a suit on Jan. 30 against Del Mar’s L’Auberge Del Mar and the resort’s former managing company, Hyatt, and the former massage therapist Daniel Iorga in San Diego Superior Court. Iorga has since lost his license and may be facing significant jail time for his crimes.

The victim, who stayed at the hotel in 2018 and booked a massage during her stay, said that shortly after the massage began, she immediately felt Iorga’s hands beginning to wander and she knew immediately what he was trying to do.

“He put his knees on the backs of my thighs...and moved my underwear to the side and licked me. I was terrified that he was going to rape me but I couldn’t move or say anything," she said.

She also alleged that after the attack, Iorga sat her up and whispered in her ear, “Promise me you will never regret this good massage.” The bizarre incident of violation left the woman shaken and disturbed. After returning to her room and getting her bearings, she went to the hotel desk and asked to speak to a manager, but they did not come. She then called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and filed a report, learning that Iorga had been reported for another assault in 2013.

The woman said she was left irrevocably changed by the incident. “I used to think that I was strong and I just feel like I couldn’t help myself and...it’s been really hard to reconcile that.”

L’Auberge Del Mar’s current managing company, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, said they could not comment due to the incident having occurred before they managed the resort.