An employee at the Eden Prairie Massage Envy faces two counts of third-degree sexual assault after being accused of molesting his clients while giving them massages.

Mitchell Le Dac Ho, 28, of Eden Prairie, is at least the third Massage Envy employee in the metro area to be charged with sexually assaulting a client since 2013.

One of Ho's clients told Eden Prairie police in March 2016 that he digitally penetrated her during a massage until she told him to stop, according to the criminal complaint. She paid for the session and left. She told police she was too afraid to tell anyone about what happened. As officers continued to investigate they lost contact with the woman, according to the charge, until they were able to find her again.

Ho was still working at the Eden Prairie franchise in September 2017 when he digitally penetrated a juvenile girl for five to 10 minutes, according to the complaint.

A district manager for the Eden Prairie Massage Envy referred questions to the company's media relations department, which has not immediately responded for comment.

At least five Massage Envy clients have accused their massage therapists of assault in the last four years. John Earl Young II, 29, was charged in 2013 with molesting a client at a Minnetonka franchise in June that year.

The next month he was working at a Bloomington store when he sexually assaulted another client. He was convicted in both cases in 2015 and sentenced to half a year in jail.

In October, Matthew Ryan Perry, 41, of Hopkins, was charged with criminal sexual conduct after a client at the Edina store accused him of touching her vagina during a massage. His case is still pending.

Massage Envy has more than 1,000 franchises in the country, including 22 in the Twin Cities metro area, according to the company's website. In a statement, the company said they are cooperating with law enforcement, and that Ho is no longer with the franchise.

"Safety in the treatment room is – and always will be – our priority, and we believe our recently announced Commitment to Safety defines a clear path forward that will create meaningful change to ensure the safety and well-being of members and guests," the statement said.

Brandon Stahl • 612-673-4626