Woman Sues Convicted Former Geneva Massage Therapist Over ‘Assault’

A former Geneva massage therapist convicted of aggravated battery relating to a 2008 incident with a female client has been sued by the woman, court records show.

Michael Tovrea, 24, is currently on probation after his 2009 conviction tied to the incident at Heavenly Massage in Geneva. Tovrea pleaded guilty to aggravated battery in the case after being accused of improperly touching the female client during a massage session. Misdemeanor charges of battery, disorderly conduct and committing an obscene act were dropped.

In the lawsuit filed last month, the woman, Kristi Flaco Schwochow, claims Tovrea "exposed himself to," "assaulted" and "touched (Schwochow) in an unwelcome and harmful manner."

Heavenly Massage, also named in the lawsuit, is accused of not properly screening male massage therapists and is challenged over its practice of giving only a towel or robe to female customers after they disrobe, the lawsuit states.

Morton Grove-based Heavenly Massage has 11 locations, including on Randall Road in Geneva, around Chicago and the suburbs. A phone message left for the owner was not returned. Attorneys for the company and the woman could not immediately be reached for comment.

In 2009, a Kane County judge sentenced Tovrea to 60 days in jail and 30 months' probation for the aggravated battery conviction. Prosecutors filed a probation violation against Tovrea in November after he failed to show up for court-ordered evaluations. The violation hearing is scheduled for March.

Tovrea is listed in various records with Sugar Grove and Marseilles addresses, but no phone numbers could be found. Court records did not show Tovrea with an attorney in the lawsuit.

Tovrea only had his state massage therapist license for four months before the incident. The state's Department of Professional Regulation didn't suspend his license until June 2009, three months after his conviction.

Tovrea's license was revoked in December 2009 for a "criminal felony conviction for Aggravated Battery, and immoral conduct involving sexual misconduct exhibited toward a business client while providing a massage to the client," state records show.