John Gray: Myotherapist jailed for raping client in North Melbourne

A myotherapist who raped a young woman during a massage appointment has been sent to jail.

John Gray has been jailed for a minimum of two years.

A myotherapist who raped a 19-year-old client during a massage appointment has been jailed.

John Gray, 43, was sentenced to a minimum of two years’ jail before the County Court on Friday, January 15, having been convicted of one charge of rape following a trial.

The court heard Gray was having a fifth appointment with the woman when he committed the rape during a massage in North Melbourne on the evening of October 3, 2017.

It was heard the hour-long appointment had already gone overtime when Gray told the woman he could go for an extra 10 minutes.

He was then massaging around her hip when he suggested she remove her underwear so he could get into the area better, but she declined.

He then asked again.

She did not reply and her underwear was removed, before he moved his hands to her genitalia.

The court heard he was touching her inappropriately when he asked if it was OK, to which she didn’t reply.

When he asked again and questioned if it was what she wanted, she said ‘no’ and sat up.

Gray then told the woman he didn’t normally “do this”, and apologised and said he had misread the situation.

He texted her later that night apologising for the misunderstanding, saying he was embarrassed and sorry and would make it up to her.

When he was later interviewed by police he told them he had thought there was a connection between him and his client, and that he had thought he was correct when she didn’t say anything.

But the court heard his evidence varied significantly when the case went to trial in late 2020, with Judge Amanda Fox saying she found much of his evidence “to be far-fetched and unbelievable”.

Judge Fox said it was unclear who had removed the victim’s underwear, but that she preferred the woman’s evidence that the woman had not replied and Gray had removed her underwear.

Judge Fox said Gray was to be sentenced on the basis that while he had a belief that the woman consented, “the belief was not reasonable in the circumstances”.

“The victim was alone with you in the early evening in her underwear on a massage table.

“She was in a vulnerable position and trusted you, as her therapist, to behave professionally.”

“You breached her trust and took advantage of the power imbalance to commit the offence.”

The court heard the victim had become withdrawn and anti-social and felt less safe in the world since the incident.

Gray, a married father of two daughters, continued working as a myotherapist up until his trial.

It was heard he worked in dance and performing arts for years before getting into myotherapy in 2012 and that, as a New Zealand citizen, he faced the risk of deportation after being released from jail.

Judge Fox said she took into account that Gray’s offence had lower culpability than other instances of rape and that it was an isolated, unplanned incident.

He was sentenced to a maximum of four years’ jail, having already served 39 days.