An unqualified Indian massage therapist has been jailed for eight months for sexually abusing five female customers in Hobart, and is likely to be deported after serving his sentence.
Sahil Sharma, 36, was unanimously found guilty by a jury of indecently assaulting the women at Jun Lin Spa between February and November 2023, and appeared in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Tuesday for sentencing.
Justice Tamara Jago told Sharma in sentencing that she rejected his claims that he was innocent and simply performing “appropriate massage techniques”, and called the evidence he gave at trial “contrived”.
The court heard Sharma came to Australia in 2018 on his wife’s student visa, was offered the masseur job by the business owner who was also his landlord, and received just four days of training.
Sharma’s first victim attended the spa for a massage to help with neck pain, but he stripped her towel away, and massaged her breasts. He did the same to his second victim, and also touched her vagina while making “overtly sexual” comments.
He convinced his third victim, who was suffering lower back pain, to remove her underwear, touched her vagina and massaged her breasts.
Sharma’s fourth victim has just had serious abdominal surgery and attended for a lymphatic drainage massage to assist with her surgical recovery, but he groped her breasts, removed her underwear, touched her vagina, and “made a number of inappropriate comments”.
The woman reported Sharma to management, and complained to police, who began an investigation, but while it was underway Sharma assaulted his fifth victim. The court heard he engaged in inappropriate conversation, touched her breasts, lowered her underwear and touched her inner thighs.
“Mr Sharma, every crime of sexual assault, including indecent assault, is a serious crime. Here, your conduct extended to unreasonably exposing your clients and touching their breasts and genital areas,” Justice Jago told him.
‘Whilst your conduct did not occasion any physical harm, it should not be seen as ‘mere touching’. It was an invasion of your clients’ bodily integrity and their right to be respected. It involved a terrible breach of trust.
“People within our community are entitled to attend at massage centres and expect to be safe. You abused the trust that was placed in you and put these five clients through a harrowing experience.”
She sentenced Sharma to 16 months’ imprisonment, to be suspended after eight months on condition he commit no offences punishable by imprisonment for a period of two years, and placed him on the sex offender registry for four years.
Justice Jago also noted that Sharma’s permanent visa had been revoked and that he was now on a Bridging visa, which would likely be cancelled when he was released from custody.
“If you wish to avoid adverse impact flowing to your wife and children, it may be necessary that you and your wife separate so that she can remain in Australia and pursue further study,” she told him.
“I am told your primary concern is your wife and children and you are prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect them.”
Header image: Jun Lin Spa (Google Street View).
