Maryland

‘I'm Sorry': 9:30 Club Owner Pleads Guilty to Soliciting Massage Therapist for Sex

"I don't know how many times you can say no and still he didn't listen to me. It was very shocking," the masseuse said in court

The owner of two of D.C.'s most popular music venues pleaded guilty Thursday to solicitation of prostitution and apologized to the massage therapist who he asked to perform sex acts for money.

Seth Hurwitz, who owns the 9:30 Club and the Anthem, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of solicitation of prostitution in Montgomery County, Maryland. As part of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to three years supervised probation and was ordered to undergo a "psycho-sexual evaluation."

In court, Hurwitz apologized to the masseuse, who also spoke.

"I'm sorry that I hurt her, if I did," he said.

"When I read the police report, I realized I have some serious issues. I started thinking about my self-centered behavior causing others pain," he added.

The masseuse, who was not named in court, said that what Hurwitz did was "very degrading, very demeaning."

"I am a licensed physical therapist, and here I've been diminished to a sex toy," she said. "[...] I don't know how many times you can say no, and still he didn't listen to me. It was very shocking."

In addition to owning the two clubs, Hurwitz is chairman of I.M.P., a concert promotion and production company that books Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lincoln Theatre. His current role in the businesses was not immediately clear. 

Hurwitz's attorney previously said, "The facts will come out in due course." The attorney asked for consideration for Hurwitz and his family. 

Hurwitz was arrested Aug. 21. Police said a woman told detectives that Hurwitz made inappropriate sexual comments and motions during a massage at her workplace on the afternoon of Aug. 15 and implied she would get a bigger tip for performing sexual acts. She said he left a roll of cash in view on the floor of the massage room.

Hurwitz twice asked the victim if she would go to his home to give him a massage in the future and she declined, police said. She told detectives she ended the massage 10 minutes early because of his behavior.

Hurwitz texted the massage therapist later that day and again the following day, Aug. 16, police said.

The victim reported him to police Aug. 16, and in a phone call and series of texts witnessed by detectives, Hurwitz offered her cash for sexual acts, police said. He made an appointment for the morning of Aug. 21 and was arrested when he showed up at the business. Police said he was carrying 10 $100 bills outside of his wallet.

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story. 

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