A man posing as a masseur trainee was “secretly recording” women during no-charge massages that he insisted were “part of his student curriculum”, according to detectives in North Carolina.

But the 51-year-old man, identified as Robert Charles Herring, was not a student and not licensed to provide massage therapy, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office later discovered.

He was arrested Aug 7 on accusations of “operating as an unlicensed massage therapist and unlawfully recording female clients without their knowledge”, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Investigators said the outlandish scheme came to light when “multiple complaints were filed by victims who received massages”.

Those massages were given at no cost at the suspect’s home in Wilmington, about a 130-mile drive south from Raleigh, officials said.

“Herring claimed it was part of his student curriculum in massage therapy and needed additional hours to complete his certification, which he didn’t have nor was he enrolled in,” the sheriff’s office said. “Even more disturbingly, it was discovered that he had been secretly videotaping the sessions without the consent of his clients.”

He is charged with 12 counts of secret peeping and one count of probation violation, jail records show. Bond was set at US$125,000 .

Detectives did not reveal how many women have come forward, but it is suspected there may be more victims.

 - TNS