Massage client pleads not guilty to raping and robbing city therapist

A man on trial for allegedly raping and robbing a Cairns City massage therapist has pleaded not guilty, with his defence barrister asking the jury to consider if the alleged victim was “really offering massage only, or was she offering sexual services as well”.

A man on trial for allegedly raping and robbing a Cairns City massage therapist has pleaded not guilty, with his defence barrister asking the jury to consider if the alleged victim was “really offering massage only, or was she offering sexual services as well”. Picture: iStock

A man on trial for allegedly raping and robbing a Cairns City massage therapist has pleaded not guilty, with his defence barrister asking the jury to consider if the alleged victim was “really offering massage only, or was she offering sexual services as well”.

Jared H Jacobus Desmares, 37, pleaded not guilty in Cairns District Court to two counts of rape and one count of robbery over the alleged incident at a Cairns City massage business in 2022 where he had visited before as a client.

Crown Prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said evidence would be called that Mr Desmares came to the business as a walk-in client an hour before closing time on August 16, 2022, and paid $110 upfront for a 90-minute massage.

“Late that afternoon, her day became unlike any other she experienced; late that afternoon, she was raped in her workplace here in Cairns – she was also threatened and robbed of her money,” Ms Friedewald said to the jury.

“She … provided a variety of massages – Thai, oil, deep tissue, for example … she worked alone in that business, seven days a week, generally opening at 9am in the morning and closing at 5pm in the afternoon.”

The Cairns Courthouse building on Sheridan Street. Picture: Brendan Radke

Ms Friedewald said the massage proceeded “without incident” for 60 minutes before Ms Desmares said he had something to do and the woman offered him a refund for the unused time.

While she was wiping the oil from his back, Mr Desmares “grabbed hold of her hand, pushed her into the massage table and said ‘do you do sex?’,” Ms Friedewald told the court.

“She will tell you she was crying, begging him to stop, telling him she had a family to look after, and that he was saying ‘we could be happy’,” Ms Friedewald said.

Ms Friedewald said it would be alleged Mr Desmares raped her twice, and later demanded money, which he took from her handbag and from other places within the business.

The court was told the woman locked the store, walked immediately to the nearest pharmacy to obtain “emergency contraception” and called a friend, who noticed she was not her usual self.

The friend encouraged the woman to go to the police, which she did, but she disclosed only the alleged robbery initially, the court was told.

Later that night, the jury heard the woman spoke about the alleged rape to her friend, and went to the police again, before forensic examinations were performed on her.

Defence barrister Angus Edwards KC gave an opening statement to the jury, saying it was not disputed that Mr Desmares had sex with the woman and asked for his money back.

Picture: File

He urged them to “keep an open mind” and compare what the woman said to the police, her friends and to the court.

“Was she offering sexual services as well? I expect that might be a matter of some importance to you in this trial – as she made up this evolving story that ultimately became a rape complaint for other reasons,” Mr Edwards told the jury.

“This trial comes down to whether the prosecution can prove (the victim) is telling the truth when she says she doesn’t offer sexual services, that she was just giving Mr Desmares a massage when, out of the blue, he became aggressive and raped and robbed her.

“You’ll have to do your best to make an assessment of her despite the fact there is an interpreter.”

Mr Edwards said “there might be another explanation of why they had sex and a dispute about the money and for why (the woman) might then make false allegations – much of that will depend on (the woman’s) story”.

Mr Edwards asked the jury to consider if the alleged victim was consistent in her “version of what she said happened”.

Originally published as Massage client pleads not guilty to raping and robbing city therapist