A Bensalem man is accused of inappropriate conduct with female employees at his local restaurant including slapping their behinds.
Police want to know if there are other former employees with similar stories involving Larry Ferreira.
Ferreira, 59, owner of Bagelocity Soup King in Bensalem, has denied the misdemeanor charges filed against him for indecent assault and harassment involving three former employees.
Bensalem police have charged the owner of a popular restaurant with harassing and inappropriately touching his female workers. Police are looking for other victims.
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Bensalem police opened an investigation in January after a former female employee reported ongoing workplace harassment, including Ferreira slapping her behind three times, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The woman said she reported the behavior to Ferreira’s wife and business partner several times, but Ferreira continued to make sexually inappropriate comments and touch her, the affidavit said.
The third time he slapped her behind he allegedly left a handprint and later apologized.
She alleged that Ferreira became angry with her when she did not return the store safe keys by placing them in his pants pocket. The woman alleged that Ferreira said that other female employees did it without complaint.
The woman alleged she quit because of Ferreira’s conduct.
During the investigation police said they found a similar incident in 2023 involving two former employees.
Police interviewed one of the former employees who alleged she reported Ferreira’s “continuous inappropriate conduct;” the affidavit didn’t specify where it was reported.
Another former employee interviewed alleged Ferreira made inappropriate comments and told one female worker she looked like a stripper and threw dollar bills at her.
The employee alleged she saw Ferreira smack the backside of another employee at least once and he massaged her shoulders without consent.
In a police interview, Ferreira allegedly admitted to smacking female employees on the backside, but alleged the women were adults and they did the same to him calling it a “two-way street.”
He denied texting the employees anything inappropriate, the affidavit said.
A preliminary hearing on the charges is scheduled for next month in Bensalem.
Bensalem Police Detectives are seeking anyone with additional information, or anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Larry Ferreira. You can contact them at (215) 633-3719.
Crime and Courts Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bensalem restaurant owner accused of harassing employees