Dennis Olsen arrested on sexual battery charges

Lincoln Police arrested Planning Commission chairman and local businessman Dennis Alma Olsen, 67, late Tuesday afternoon on a warrant issued by the Placer County Superior Court.According to a Lincoln Police Department press release, the warrant charged Olsen with four counts of sexual battery and one count of sexual penetration with a foreign object. The warrant was issued after a lengthy investigation by Lincoln Police after four different women alleged that Olsen inappropriately touched them while receiving massage services from him.Olsen was booked into the county jail Tuesday, with bail set at $91,500. He posted bail and was out shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday.LPD Lt. Brian Vizzusi declined Wednesday morning to comment beyond the scope of the press release.Olsen and his wife, Mary, own D'Olsen's Medi-Spa, located at 671 First St. According to City Manager Jerry Johnson, the alleged incidents occurred at D'Olsen's.Johnson noted all massage therapists in the city are required to possess a massage license. He said Olsen's license has been suspended. It was just his license that was suspended, Johnson added, and not the business' license. D'Olsen's remains open.Johnson said the investigation into the allegations against Dennis Olsen has been going on for some time."I don't know exactly for how long," Johnson said. "I have been aware of it for several months," at least three or four. Lincoln Mayor Ray Sprague said Wednesday morning that he has spoken with the city manager about Olsen but the issue about his status on the Planning Commission never came up."I believe, at this time, it is in Dennis' best interest that he take a leave of absence until we get this resolved," said Sprague, who was the council member who nominated Olsen for the Planning Commission post. "I don't think he should resign at this time. He's still innocent until proven guilty."The annual reorganization of the Planning Commission usually takes place in December, but was not on Wednesday night's agenda, Johnson said, adding Olsen has not been asked to step down off the Planning Commission."It would probably be appropriate for him to seek a leave of absence pending the outcome of this," Johnson said. Mike Garcia and Chris Logan talked about Olsen's arrest as they were drinking coffee downtown Wednesday morning. Garcia is a Lincoln resident and Logan is a rural Lincoln resident. "I think they ought to hang him," Garcia said about Olsen. "Somebody that's in office like that should respect everybody. ... They should throw the book at him."Logan said such alleged acts by anyone is bad, but a public servant accused of such acts is worse because of his role. "I have no tolerance for anything like that," Logan said about sex crimes.Garcia agreed. He said it seems that if somebody from the public gets arrested for that kind of thing, officials should throw the book at him. But with public servants, officials usually only give them a slap on the hand with probation time, he said, adding officials usually are tight-lipped about the whole incident.Garcia made those comments after they started asking questions about where the arrest was made, what arose from the "lengthy investigation" mentioned in the press release, and the fact police refused to comment further. "He better be charged and prosecuted like anybody else," Garcia said. "He's no better than you or me or anybody else."They aren't going to say nothing because he's a city official," Garcia said. "They want to brush it under the carpet. But I don't think it's right because everybody should know what he's been doing because he is a public servant."The city manager, however, did respond to questions from the News Messenger. Dennis Olsen could not be reached comment Wednesday morning. When phoned, his wife, Mary, said "no comment" and abruptly hung up.Others in the community were surprised by the arrest."We were absolutely shocked at the alleged charges against Dennis," said Maggie Smith, a Lincoln CPA.Smith and her business partner, Jennifer Jensen, regularly see Olsen for back treatments."We can't believe Dennis is accused of that," Smith continued. "We have always found him to act in a very professional manner with never the slightest hint of impropriety."