Masseur accused of assaulting customer at Bend spa enters not guilty pleas; January trial date set

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A man accused of sexually abusing a massage customer at a northeast Bend spa last year and of practicing massage without a license entered not-guilty pleas Thursday and a trial date was set for early next year.

The pleas to the two Class A misdemeanor charges were entered on behalf of Jianming Tang, 46, who appeared by phone for the hearing before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley, with a Mandarin language interpreter also on the line.

The plea entry by Tang, who has no residence listed in court filings, had been delayed over several months for investigation, scheduling and negotiations between prosecutors and Tang’s defense attorney, according to court records.

Bagley scheduled a four-day, six-person jury trial for next Jan. 14, with a trial readiness hearing a week earlier and motion deadlines in September.

Oregon State Police said a woman told authorities she was sexually assaulted by a masseur at the May spa on Northeast Bellevue Drive last July, leading to her involvement in an undercover operation and Tang’s arrest.