Editor’s note: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault.

A Salem man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for raping a worker and attempting to rape another at two Salem spas last summer.

Felix Flores Jr., 40, pleaded no contest on June 1 to first-degree sodomy and rape of the first victim, as well as first-degree attempted rape and kidnapping of the second victim. The plea meant that Flores did not admit guilt but agreed that prosecutors had enough evidence to prove he was guilty.

Flores will receive credit for the nearly one year he has spent in jail since his arrest.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge Audrey Broyles also sentenced Flores to nearly 12 years of post-prison supervision. He will be required to register as a sex offender.

A Salem Police Department affidavit provided an account of the sexual assaults. 

In July 2024, a worker at the Sasa Massage spa at 820 Commercial St. S.E. reported to police that a man had raped her at work two days earlier. 

Salem Reporter generally does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The victim told police that the man pushed his way into the spa and locked the door behind him. He then grabbed the victim around her waist and pushed her into a massage room, where he forced her to perform oral sex. 

The man then raped the victim before leaving the spa.

She reported the crime two days later after the rapist returned to the business.

The same man returned for a third time two days later, but the woman closed the blinds and locked the doors when she saw him coming.

That same day, a man matching the rapist’s description walked into the Happy Holiday Spa at 1828 Lancaster Drive N.E. and attempted to rape a woman who worked there. 

The victim told police the man asked her for a “sex massage.” When she refused, he became aggressive. 

Surveillance cameras inside the business captured the man physically forcing the victim into a room.

She told police she struggled with the attacker, punching and kicking him. The man dragged her from the lobby into the massage room. A clock fell off the wall during the struggle.

Inside the room, the man attempted to rape the victim but heard other people coming into the lobby. He then pulled up his pants, and both he and the victim came out of the massage room. 

A neighboring business called the police after hearing banging and screaming coming from inside the spa.

Police found Flores nearby in his van and arrested him.

They noted that the victim had injuries and scratches to her neck, and a rug burn on her lower back.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss three other counts of kidnapping and a fourth-degree assault charge as part of the plea deal.

Attorney Jay Winn, who represented Flores, submitted psychological and psychological evaluations of Flores to the judge ahead of the sentencing hearing. The documents were filed under seal and details of the findings could not be established.

Marion County Deputy District Attorney Katharine Semple, who prosecuted the case, argued in court that Flores “displayed no remorse nor insight into his predatory behavior,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

The prosecutor noted racist, degrading comments that Flores made about his victims when police interviewed him and and in later statements as additional reasons for a long sentence.

“We must continue to protect local businesses and those working hard to simply live their lives,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy said in the statement.

This story was updated after the Marion County District Attorney’s Office released a statement about the sentence.

RELATED COVERAGE:

Suspect arrested in sexual assault case, police seek additional victims

Court documents show Salem man charged with rape asked spa employees for “sex massage”

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

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