Abdullah Syahab fronts court over sexual assault of patients

A professional massager in Melbourne’s west grabbed the genitalia of two male patients after placing their legs into a frog position, a court has heard.

Professional massager Abdullah Syahab has gone to jail for sexually abusing two male patients.

A Melbourne massage therapist who sexually assaulted two male patients, including brushing their genitalia after placing their legs into a frog position has been jailed.

Abdullah Syahab, 30, pleaded guilty after a sentence indication to three charges of sexual assault and one of rape by compelling sexual penetration.

He was sentenced to three years’ and 10 months’ jail, with a non-parole period of two years and two months.

Judge Pardeep Tiwana said at the time of offending on two separate occasions in March 2022, Indonesian-born Syahab was working as a professional masseuse at a health clinic in a western suburb of Melbourne.

His first patient undressed himself down to his underwear and laid face down after requesting a hip massage.

Two patients Abdullah Shayab persistently groped at a health clinic in Melbourne’s west initially thought it was a mistake.

Syahab massaged his back for about 10 minutes and then asked him to roll over so he could work on his left leg, hip area and quads.

He put the patient into a frog position and while massaging him, Syahab started brushing his penis with the back of his hand.

The patient thought it was an accident but felt uncomfortable after about three times and put his left hand on his penis to cover it.

Later in the massage, the patient felt a weird feeling and saw Syahab’s head bobbing up and down over his penis and observed saliva in the corners of the massager’s mouth.

Judge Tiwana said the patient froze and lay there for about 20 to 30 seconds trying to comprehend what had happened.

The matter was reported to police the same day.

Syahab’s next patient endured a similar experience and he too thought it was a mistake. After rolling hot stones over the patient’s back, Syahab said “Sorry about earlier. I could not control myself”.

Syahab was arrested at the clinic on March 15, 2022 and denied the offending.

Judge Tiwana said while no victim statements were filed in court, the two patients would no doubt have been shocked and distressed at Syahab’s conduct.

“Customers attend massage clinics expecting a professional massage. Having removed their clothes, they lay on the massage table in a vulnerable state. Your offending involved a gross breach of their trust in you.

“Having offended against the first victim, you did not learn, and went on to offend again against a second person only two days later,” Judge Tiwana said.

Syahab faces the prospect of deportation after completion of his sentence.