Richland massage therapist facing prison term for sexually touching clients

A former Richland massage therapist should spend extra time in prison for inappropriately touching women clients, say Benton County prosecutors.

Kyle S. Pierce, 37, recently entered an Alford plea to four counts of indecent liberties while working for two different businesses. An Alford plea means Pierce admitted he was likely to be convicted at a trial, but he doesn’t have to admit to the crime.

By avoiding a trial, he faced a shorter prison term.

But Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra said she still plans to ask the judge for a sentence that’s twice as long as state guidelines.

The crime normally carries a maximum of a year in prison, according to court documents. But Petra said she will ask for two years.

Before a sentence can be imposed, the state Department of Corrections needs to do a background report, weighing in on how long they believe Pierce should stay incarcerated.

Pierce will be sentenced for touching three clients inappropriately while working at a Richland therapist business in 2019 and 2020. Another charge is from his time at another worksite in 2021.

His Washington state license to practice as a massage therapist was suspended in 2022.

Petra also wanted Pierce to be held in the Benton County jail until he is sentenced because the crimes date back nearly six years and the court case has been pending for three.

“This has been a long time coming,” Petra said.

Pierce’s attorney Randall Jameson asked that he be allowed to remain out of the jail until the sentencing.

Jameson said Pierce made the plea to avoid a potentially longer sentence, and he has three young daughters that he is responsible for.

“He’s been out on bail with no issues,” Jameson said. “We don’t know what that sentence is going to be.”

Judge Jackie Shea Brown decided to jail Pierce, noting that Jameson can move up the sentencing date if he wants.

Sexual assaults

Pierce received his a massage therapist license from the state in 2011, and he began working a Richland massage business, according to the Department of Health investigation.

Three women complained between 2019 and 2020 about Pierce inappropriately touching them.

One of the three reported the conduct to the massage business, but didn’t want to file a police complaint, court documents said. He was fired in June 2020 for breaking the safe draping protocol and performing unauthorized massage, according to state documents.

He went to work for another massage business shortly after, and a woman client said she was inappropriately touched in 2021. She called police.

He denied to police investigators that he did anything wrong and claimed he “never had any complaints against him,” court documents said.

He told them that he closed his eyes during 90% of his massages.