Texas man's massage therapist, instructor licenses suspended pending criminal cases: TDLR - FOX 7 Austin

[Elizabeth Evans]

BELL COUNTY, Texas - A Bell County man's licenses have been suspended pending multiple criminal cases, says the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

What we know:

TDLR says they have suspended the massage therapist and instructor licenses of DeMarr Thomas pending three criminal cases in Bell County.

Thomas is not allowed to work in Texas as a massage therapist or massage instructor until the resolution of the cases or until a court orders his licenses be restored, TDLR says.

Thomas is facing a second-degree felony sexual assault charge and two misdemeanor indecent assault charges. All three charges stem from incidents that allegedly happened while he was performing massages on clients.

What they're saying:

"TDLR takes allegations of sexual misconduct extremely seriously and there is no place in this profession for those who abuse their position of trust. Protecting the public is our foremost responsibility and we will pursue every possible action under the law to hold licensees accountable," said TDLR executive director Courtney Arbour in a release.

Thomas's pending criminal cases​

The backstory:

The Belton Police Department says that three victims came forward over a period of three years.

In September 2022, Thomas, the owner of The Retreat Therapeutic Massage in Belton, was arrested for sexual assault.

After his first arrest was publicized, a second victim came forward and Thomas was charged with indecent assault in that case, Belton police say.

A third victim came forward after another incident in June 2024 and Thomas was arrested in July 2024 and charged with indecent assault again.

In the third case, Thomas was out on bond for both the previous charges at the time of the assault, Belton police say.

What's next:

Thomas has a jury trial on the felony sexual assault case and pre-trial hearings for the two misdemeanors set for September.

Thomas has posted a collective bond of $128,500 for the three charges, according to court records.


The Source: Information in this report comes from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the Belton Police Department, and Bell County court records.

Crime and Public SafetyBell County