Massage therapist drank vodka, groped client at St. Paul Athletic Club, charges say -...

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An interim massage therapist at the St. Paul Athletic Club is accused of sexually assaulting a club member while he was giving the woman a massage at the downtown establishment this past May.

Gregory Quinn Holmes drank from a bottle of vodka during the May 29 session and groped the woman under her underwear, according to the criminal complaint filed against him Monday in Ramsey County District Court.

Holmes, 54, of Minneapolis faces one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Holmes worked for the club only to fill in for its regular massage therapist while she was on maternity leave, according to Stephanie Laitala-Rupp, president of the athletic club.

Gregory Quinn Holmes

The facility took immediate action against Holmes after the woman reported his conduct, Laitala-Rupp said.

“We called the police and had him escorted from the building,” she said. “We took immediate action … and supported her completely … because this is something that shouldn’t happen.”

A member was receiving a massage from Holmes, who was known as “Quinn” at the club, when he reached under her underwear and groped her, the complaint said. At another point, she said he leaned his groin against her body.

The woman also reported observing Holmes drink vodka during the session and said he left briefly and returned smelling like marijuana, authorities say.

The member told Holmes she was uncomfortable with his conduct and demanded that he leave the room so she could get dressed and report it to the front desk, legal documents say.

Holmes reportedly followed her and tried to “block (her) from … saying anything,” the complaint said.

The front-desk worker told police that it appeared Holmes was trying to “intimidate” the club member as she relayed what happened, prompting the employee to shield the woman from Holmes by bringing her behind the front desk while she called police, legal documents say.

Police escorted him from the building.

The incident was the first complaint the club received about Holmes’ conduct, Laitala-Rupp said.

Holmes’ criminal record includes several alcohol-related violations, including leaving the scene of a death accident and criminal vehicular operation that resulted in substantial bodily harm. He’s also been convicted of disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, and violating orders for protection related to domestic violence, court records say.

Laitala-Rupp said the St. Paul Athletic Club conducts background checks before hiring its employees and said she wasn’t sure how Holmes criminal past slipped through the cracks.

“We would never hire anyone knowingly, so it’s disappointing,” Laitala-Rupp said. “I am not sure what steps got missed and it’s tragic, clearly.”

Holmes’ contract with the club was terminated immediately after the incident, she added.


The club’s regular massage therapist has now returned to work.

No attorney was listed for Holmes in court records and he could not be reached for comment.

His LinkedIn profile indicates he works at the Natural Healing Spa in Vadnais Heights, but an employee who answered the phone there said she’d never heard of him.

Holmes’ next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 24.

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