Former KU athletics massage therapist charged with six counts of sexual battery
A massage therapist accused of “unwanted touching” of University of Kansas student athletes was charged with six counts of misdemeanor sexual battery last week, according to court records.
Shawn O’Brien, 49, was originally charged in February with aggravated indecent liberties with a child for an alleged incident that occurred in 2014. The sexual battery charges were added in an amended complaint in Douglas County District Court on July 14.
The new charges allege that O’Brien inappropriately touched people over the age of 16 without their consent in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
O’Brien’s attorney did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.
O’Brien was contracted by KU Athletics from 2015 until his arrest in February to give massage services to the university’s women’s athletics teams. Following his arrest, the university launched an internal investigation of his conduct.
Over the course of that investigation, KU officials said in March that they found at least six female athletes who reported inappropriate conduct, including unwanted touching by O’Brien. According to the investigation, at least one of the university’s athletic trainers was aware of some of the reports but failed to appropriately report it.
According to a statement released by KU Chancellor Douglas Girod and athletic director Jeff Long at the time of the university’s investigation also found that O’Brien had provided free massages to the general student body during KU Alumni’s “Finals Dinner” events between 2011 and 2019. As part of that, O’Brien gave out gift cards that “may have led to off-campus massages at his office,” KU’s statement said.
O’Brien was listed as operating Kamehameha Massage LLC, according to Kansas business records. He owned the business starting in 2009. It dissolved in February 2019 because O’Brien became the “sole proprietor,” according to state records.
O’Brien is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 1.
