Canberra masseur Weiqing Liu jailed for sex crimes

A disgraced Canberra masseur who sexually assaulted women under the guise of a therapeutic massage did so to offer an ‘extra service’ to his clients, a court has heard.

Weiqing Liu faced the ACT Supreme Court on July 18, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner

A creepy masseur who sexually assaulted six women at a Canberra health centre has been jailed after claiming it was a “misguided business strategy”.

Weiqing Liu hid his face from the media on Tuesday with his designer Balenciaga cap, sunnies and mask before being jailed in the ACT Supreme Court for multiple sexual assaults committed at the Capital Health Centre of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Phillip.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of an act of indecency without consent and three of sexual intercourse without consent before he was to face trial.

Agreed facts tendered to the court stated the 34-year-old touched the vagina of five of the women and pressed his penis against another while giving them therapeutic massages between 2019 to 2021.

Justice David Mossop said these women were in states of undress and in vulnerable positions when Liu sexually assaulted them.

Weiqing Liu donning his designer hat on the way into the ACT Supreme Court on July 18, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner

The court heard the Wright man worked at the same centre as his wife, whose cousin ran the business.

Victim impact statements read to the court on Monday retold feelings of isolation, shame and embarrassment caused by Liu’s offending.

Weiqing Liu was jailed for his offending. Picture: Sam Turner

Liu’s defence team argued the masseur was motivated by the “misguided understanding” he would provide sexual services to improve his earning capacity during a dire financial time for him, his wife and young daughter.

Justice Mossop labelled this excuse as a “misguided business strategy” and said the motivation for his sexual acts remained unknown.

The court heard the masseur emigrated from China in 2015 and had come from a poor childhood but worked towards a future in Australia with his wife and daughter.

This was now in tatters as Liu would likely be deported following his sentence, Justice Mossop added.

Liu worked as a handyman to support his family after being charged and planned to sell his home to fund his legal team.

The Wright man would go on to say he felt “petrified” on how his wife and daughter were going to live while he was in jail.

Liu then apologised to the victims in a letter to the court for his conduct.

Liu was jailed for three years, five months and 22 days, with it being suspended after he served 16 months.