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CENTERVILLE — A judge has suspended a jail sentence for a Centerville couple convicted of running an illegal massage parlor in their home, ordering probation and community service instead.
The couple was originally charged with performing and secretly recording sex acts as part of their unlicensed business. Those charges were dismissed last month as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Glen Easthope, 58, and his wife, Vickey Easthope, 55, pleaded guilty to unlawful conduct in a massage practice, a class A misdemeanor, and doing business without a license, a class B misdemeanor.
Prison sentences of 365 days and 180 days for the two misdemeanors were suspended Monday by 2nd District Judge David Connors, who ordered the couple to each perform 80 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine and complete 24 months of probation.
According to prosecutors, the Easthopes operated a massage business without a license at their Centerville home between October 2013 and March 2014. Police say they found one of the home business' ads on Backpage.com in December 2013, which advertised the couple would perform massages in exchange for "tips."
Investigators say Glen Easthope filmed his wife performing sex acts on clients from an unfinished furnace room connected to the massage room. Multiple recordings were found on his computer, the charges state.
In a statement Monday, Vickey Easthope's attorney, Margaret Olson, denied the voyeurism allegations against her client and emphasized the associated charges were dismissed. According to Olson, Easthope was a licensed massage therapist with an unlicensed business where she developed a romantic connection with a client, which led to some intimate contact.
"There was no sexual intercourse or videotaping or voyeurism," Olson said. "Ms. Easthope pled guilty because she did not wish to cause this person embarrassment and accepts that her conduct violated the law. There is nothing salacious or outrageous about the behavior: It occurred between two people who felt a connection with one another."
Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing records indicate Vickey Easthope voluntarily surrendered a massage therapist license in July 2014. No license was listed for Glen Easthope.
