Massage Therapist Sexual Assault Case Heads to Grand Jury

By Barbara A. Preston for The Montgomery News | November 6, 2026

Above: Attorney Mark G. Davis (left) with his client, Riyas Abdulkhaderkunju, at a pre-indictment trial in Somerset County Court on November 6.

Photograph by Barbara A. Preston

Riyas Abdulkhaderkunju, 44, of Plainsboro, appeared before Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober for a pre-indictment conference at Somerset County Courthouse on Friday, November 6. He is charged with five counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of sexual assault by force or coercion that allegedly occurred while the five victims were getting massages at a Montgomery Township spa on Route 206 in Skillman.

Five individuals have come forward. The most serious charge against Abdulkhaderkunju is 2nd-degree sexual assault (N.J.S.A . 2C:14-2c(1)), which serious felony in New Jersey, punishable by a state prison sentence of 5 to 10 years, heavy fines, and a permanent criminal record.

Judge Tober referred the sexual assault case to a Grand Jury. In Somerset County, grand jurors are randomly selected citizens of the county, drawn from a single master list that combines registered voters, licensed drivers, and state personal income tax filers.

“If the grand jury returns indictments on the charges, we schedule it for an arraignment,” Judge Tober said. “If they do not, that could potentially end the case or the state could seek to re-present.” The NJ State Constitution guarantees that no person shall be held to answer for a serious criminal offense unless on the indictment of a grand jury. The jury will hear evidence presented by an assistant prosecutor to determine whether or not there is sufficient basis for a court trial to be pursued.

An assistant prosecutor present in the courtroom said she had meet with Abdulkhaderkunju's lawyer (Mark G. Davis) prior to the hearing. "We had an opportunity to connect. We are not extending a plea offer at this time. This matter is going to be referred to a grand jury."

History of the Case

On Friday, June 26, 2026, at 7:12 pm, Montgomery Township Police responded to a 9-1-1 call at a massage therapy establishment located off Route 206 in Skillman regarding a sexual assault that had just occurred. The female victim

reported she had been sexually assaulted by a massage therapist, identified as Abdulkhaderkunju, while obtaining a massage. The victim was interviewed by detectives from the Montgomery Township Police Department.

Upon further investigation, four additional victims were identified and interviewed by detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and Montgomery Township Police Department.

The additional victims also reported being sexually assaulted by Abdulkhaderkunju while receiving massages at the massage therapy establishment.

As a result of the investigation, Abdulkhaderkunju was arrested on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Plainsboro, and charged with one count of 2nd degree Sexual Assault and five counts of 4th degree Criminal Sexual Contact.

The police and the prosecutor's office would not release the name of the spa to The Montgomery News.