More than 18 women have come forward alleging they were sexually assaulted by a massage therapist in Omaha, leading to two civil lawsuits against the salon that employed him. Roland Nieves, 67, currently faces nine counts of third-degree sexual assault, according to court records reported by WOWT.
The legal battle centers on Avant Salon & Day Spa and the entities that have owned it. The lawsuits allege that the business failed to protect clients and ignored warning signs of Nieves’ behavior for years.
Licensing lapses and “healing powers”
The first lawsuit, filed October 19 by three women identified as Jane Does, targets Mettler Creations LLC, the current operator of Avant Salon & Day Spa. A jarring detail in the complaint reveals a gap in regulatory compliance: the salon’s massage therapy license reportedly expired in 2017 and wasn’t renewed until January 12, 2026. The business allegedly operated without a valid establishment license while continuing to advertise and provide therapeutic services.
The plaintiffs describe a pattern of manipulation. Nieves allegedly told clients he used unique methods that “no one else in town” employed, urging them to “trust the process” even if his techniques seemed odd. The lawsuit claims he framed these interactions in spiritual terms, telling clients that “the universe” had brought them together so he could utilize his “healing powers.”
One woman, who is a licensed massage therapist herself, claims she reported an assault by Nieves to the Omaha Police, the salon, and the State of Nebraska back in 2020. She alleges her report was not taken seriously. This client, Jennifer Wassenberg, has spoken publicly about her experience but is not one of the Jane Does named in the current legal filings.
The cost of ignored warnings
A second lawsuit focuses on a 90-minute “Elemental Nature Massage” that ended in alleged assault. This filing argues that Avant is responsible because it kept Nieves on staff despite a complaint filed against him in 2021. This creates a timeline of alleged red flags spanning from 2020 to the present.
The complexity of the case is heightened by a change in ownership. The lawsuits name both the current owner, Mettler, and the previous owner, Rejuvenations, Inc. Documents suggest that Rejuvenations received a complaint in 2020 but failed to investigate it. The filings also claim Rejuvenations did not disclose this 2020 complaint to Mettler when the salon was sold.
“Somebody feels like they’re inappropriately touched on their chest or in their groin or wherever they feel like they’re being sexually touched, you could actually get a rape kit done because there is touch DNA,” said Omaha police detective Michael Bailey.
Detective Bailey noted that while salon owners he spoke with claimed Nieves had been with them for years without complaint and was a “good massage therapist,” the physical evidence and the number of victims suggest a different reality.
Regulatory failures and the road to trial
Despite the criminal charges and the civil lawsuits, Roland Nieves still holds an active massage therapy license with the state of Nebraska. When asked why the license remains active and how the revocation process works, a spokesperson for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the specific case.
The defense maintains a different narrative. Nieves’ attorney stated in court that his client stopped working as a massage therapist immediately after being charged. Nieves has pleaded not guilty to the third-degree sexual assault charges.
The legal process is now moving toward several critical dates. Nieves is scheduled to appear in court on October 30, November 13, and December 11.
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