Massage therapist Qing Feng Lu ‘David Lu’ banned for sexually touching female clients

A massage therapist who worked at a clinic at a major Sydney shopping centre has been deemed a ‘significant risk’ to the public after sexually touching female clients.

A Sydney massage therapist has been permanently banned from the profession after sexually touching female clients at a clinic at the Top Ryde Shopping Centre.

Mr Qing Feng Lu (David Lu) was issued the order by the Health Care Complaints Commission on Friday following an investigation into his treatment of seven female clients at the Massage One clinic.

Mr Lu, now aged 58, was found by the HCCC to present a “significant risk to the health and safety of the public.

In May last year, Lu was found guilty in Parramatta Local Court of eight counts of sexually touching another person without consent.

Each offence was committed while Mr Lu provided massage services to female clients between February and May 2021.

Mr Lu worked at Massage One at the time of the offences.

In statements to police, one victim said Mr Lu massaged her buttocks and intentionally placed her hand in between his own legs so that the victim could feel his genitals.

Another woman said Mr Lu touched her genitals during an “extremely quick and aggressive” massage.

Other victims in police statements stated Mr Lu rubbed his genitals upon their right arms, upper body and hands.

Mr Lu has been permanently banned from the profession. Photo: stock.

Mr Lu was charged by NSW Police with the sexual touching offence in 2021.

Massage One owner Emily Cho told The Daily Telegraph Mr Lu was “immediately fired” after the allegations surfaced.

“It was very unfortunate because we’ve never had any problems with any of our employees,” she said.

“It was a huge shock of a lifetime.

”After what happened, I will never employ a man again. Period.”

Mr Lu was sentenced last year in Parramatta Local Court.

Mr Lu was last year sentenced to a two year and 10 month intensive correction order, a 12 month home detention, a requirement to undergo supervision and 400 hours of community service.

During his trial, Mr Lu denied touching any of his massage clients in a sexual manner and claimed he “sought permission from each client before massaging their buttocks or breasts.”

But the magistrate in the case found Mr Lu’s conduct was a “violation of the bodily autonomy” ” and there was a need to “denounce the conduct” as a deterrence.

A sentencing report to the court stated Mr Lu apportioned blame to the victims and believed that he had been “racially targeted” due to his Chinese background.

HCCC acting director of compliance operations Robert Harnett – in his decision to issue the prohibition order last week – found Mr Lu failed to provide health services “in a safe and ethical manner”.

“Mr Lu has consistently demonstrated that he does not understand the gravity of his offences and the impact it has had on his victims,” Mr Harnett said.

“Because of the nature of his offending and his lack of insight into his offending, Mr Lu poses a significant risk to the health and safety of the public.”

Mr Lu first became a massage therapist in 2005 and began working at Massage One in about September 2020.

According to the HCCC, Mr Lu did not hold any formal qualifications in relation to massage.

He told his trial he had learned his massage techniques from watchdog videos on YouTube.