Planet Fitness sex assault, ex-employee charged
There is a world of trouble for a Planet Fitness employee in the Village of Pewaukee. Prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a teenager at the gym.
PEWAUKEE, Wis. – There is a world of trouble for a former Planet Fitness employee in the Village of Pewaukee. Prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a teenager at the gym.
Investigators say the crime happened in mid-July at the Planet Fitness.
A 16-year-old girl told police she left work and walked over to the gym just before 1 a.m. Police say she got out of the shower and went on a treadmill. While working out, investigators said 41-year-old employee Maurice King approached the girl at least “five times” asking if she needed anything. Eventually, the girl told King she was tired.
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The girl said King invited her to nap in the tanning booth room and told her to take off her clothes. Police say King came back into the room multiple times without knocking and sexually assaulted the girl.
When the girl tried to leave, police say King was waiting in the parking lot. The girl went back inside – and said King showed her pornographic videos on his cellphone. Police say King stared at the girl and unzipped his pants.
On Sunday, Aug. 11, police pulled over King for turning into the wrong lane on Capitol Drive. Before police gave him any information about why he was under arrest, King said, “I think I know what this is about” and described a “weird interaction” he had with a teenager weeks earlier.
King told police he was trying to help the girl because she had nowhere else to go. He said he was checking on her in the tanning area to make sure she did not pass out. King denied any sexual contact with the girl. But police say King did admit to having a sexually explicit video of him and his wife saved on his cellphone. Police say King denied showing the girl the video.
Prosecutors charged King with two felonies and a misdemeanor. King is currently in jail. A court commissioner set his cash bond at $7,500.
FOX6 News reached out to King’s attorney by phone and have not heard back yet.
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Planet Fitness statement
“At Planet Fitness, the safety and security of our members is a top priority, and we take this incident extremely seriously. The franchise group continues to work with local authorities in their investigation. The employee in the alleged incident has been terminated. For any additional questions, we refer you to the local police.”