Huntingdale ‘wellness’ TikTok creator Christos Papathanasiou denied bail for alleged public sexual assault

A TikTok “healer” with more than 80,000 followers has begged to be released from custody after allegedly publicly groping two women and masturbating in front of an apartment cleaner.

Huntingdale TikTok creator Christos Papathanasiou was denied bail amid allegations that he sexually assaulted multiple women.

A Huntingdale TikTok creator who “helps thousands of people everyday” online has been denied bail over multiple sexual assault allegations.

Christos Papathanasiou, 42, applied for bail in the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on April 14, facing two sexual assault charges.

On Monday, police opposed Mr Papathanasiou’s plea for freedom, saying he was an “unacceptable risk to the safety of the community”.

The court heard Mr Papathanasiou had allegedly sexually assaulted two women on a Pakenham train on April 1, where he allegedly “firmly” groped their butt cheeks as he moved past them.

The court heard he allegedly made “kissing lips” in the direction of the first complainant.

After a verbal altercation with the second woman, fellow commuters stepped in, called police and stopped Mr Papathanasiou from fleeing.

Mr Papathanasiou appeared via video link on Monday.

Police met the passengers at Caulfield station, where Mr Papathanasiou was searched and arrested.

Investigating officers allegedly found cannabis, cannabidiol oil and a knife in a body search of Mr Papathanasiou.

The court heard he also had outstanding charges for allegedly “directing sexual activity towards a person”.

Police alleged in March this year, he asked an apartment cleaner if “she was interested in extra services” while “rubbing his genitalia on the side of his pants with his hand” while she worked alone.

Police alleged the cleaner later found Mr Papathanasiou naked and masturbating on the apartment’s couch.

On another occasion he allegedly chased a couple in Huntingdale, waving a machete, shouting “I’m going to f--king chop you up”.

Magistrate Michael McNamara refused bail in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Papathanasiou is also facing outstanding assault allegations where he allegedly violently physically assaulted his uncle after he refused to give him $200.

After refusing legal aid on April 11, Mr Papathanasiou represented himself, saying he’d “bumped into a lot of people” and “maybe (the alleged victims) took it the wrong way” when he bumped into them.

He told Magistrate Michael McNamara to “check out” his TikTok account, where he teaches followers about “healing with natural medicine for free”.

The self-professed “healer” has amassed 80,600 follows on the platform, where he shares cayenne pepper recipes.

Mr Papathanasiou — who has a schizophrenia diagnosis — said he “had serious mental health issues” and hadn’t been on his medication for two days at the time of his alleged offending.

Mr McNamara refused Mr Papathanasiou’s bail application, saying he “appeared to be very mentally unwell”.

“I think it’s an unacceptable risk,” Mr McNamara told the court.

“There’s been a build up of offending over very recent times — I’m refusing bail today.”

In a vile rant before the video link ended, Mr Papathanasiou told Mr McNamara to “never f--king talk to (him) again” and spat at the camera.

Mr Papathanasiou will return to court on a later date.