CBS 6 investigation could lead to changes: 'We need to make sure that they know'

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia State Sen. Siobhan Dunnvant (R-District 12) wants the court to tell the Virginia Department of Health Professions when one of their licensees is convicted of a crime on the job following a CBS 6 Problem Solvers Investigation into a massage therapist convicted of sexual battery.

The massage therapist, Shawn Robinson, was convicted in Chesterfield in July of 2020, but his license was not suspended until Oct. 30 of that year.

Robinson was able to obtain another job as a massage therapist in Williamsburg where he was found guilty of sexually assaulting five additional women.

The Williamsburg spa, Massage Luxe, told CBS 6 they did a background check on Robinson, and he did have an active license to practice massage when he was hired in August of 2020.

One of Robinson's victims asked CBS 6 why his license was not pulled for four months after the first conviction.

When we brought the Robinson case to Dunnavant's attention, she said, "I have to believe the Department of Health Professions didn't know that, because I've seen them act so swiftly in the past. So we need to make sure that they know when something like that happens."

CBS 6 asked Dr. David Brown, who is the head of the Virginia Department of Health Professions which oversees licensing boards, how that might happen.

While Brown could not speak about specific cases, he said the courts are not required to notify his office when someone is convicted of a sex crime on the job.

"Sometimes we are notified of that, sometimes we are not. That's one of the areas that potentially needs to be strengthened, to notify us when all of our licensees are convicted," Brown said. "They currently don't."

Dunnavant's legislation would require the Commonwealth's Attorney to request the Clerk of Court send sentencing documents to the DHP when a practitioner is convicted of committing a crime doing the job they are licensed to do.

Dunnavant's office said they think the bill (SB 408) would come up in committee next week.