Bail refused for Glenelg massage therapist facing serious rape, sexual assault charges
A Glenelg massage therapist accused of a slew of systematic sexual offences on hundreds of alleged victims, will remain in custody until at least 2023 as more women come forward.
West & Beaches
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Thirteen more women have made sexual assault allegations against a foreign national already charged with raping, sexually assaulting and indecently filming women during massages at a Glenelg massage parlour.
During a bail application for the man, whose name has been suppressed, the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court heard at least a dozen more women had come forward to police.
The police prosecutor told the court investigating officers have tagged 721 indecent images of the alleged victims.
“There are now 150 to 200 potential victims and some can be identified in these images,” said the prosecutor.
“From the new 13 alleged victims, 10 relate to indecent assault and three also relate to indecent filming charges.”
The prosecutor opposed the defendant’s bail application, calling him a flight risk and said he was worried about the alleged victims potentially running into the 35-year-old.
“A number of the victims who have come forward thus far are members of the local community and they must be protected from seeing this man,” said the prosecutor.
“This offending was not a spur of the moment, it was thought out and prolonged.”
The man is currently facing seven charges including rape and indecent filming, but the prosecutor told the court they expect more charges to be laid in the coming months.
At the last hearing, Magistrate Paul Foley allowed a police application for a suppression of the man’s name, image and workplace, which was extended in the light of further alleged victims coming forward.
Marie Shaw QC, for the man, said her client was eligible for bail and denied he would be a flight risk.
Mr Foley denied the bail application and the man will return to court in 2023.
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