A MASSAGE therapist touched a female client in a sexual manner during her first ever massage, a court heard.
Lijo Kizhakkevilayiljoy, 37, of Chester Road, London has been charged with sexual assault on a female at a Massage Centre in Kenton Lane, Harrow.
Harrow Crown Court heard on Monday, February 24, that the woman booked an appointment for a full body massage at the parlour due to recent stress.
Prosecuting Timothy Naik said: "This case involves two people. the claimant and Mr Joy, the incident took place on March 1, last year, it was the woman's first full body massage.
"When she arrived she was asked to take her clothes off and put paper pants on, she left her knickers on underneath the paper ones, but Mr Joy told her there was no need for them to stay on and asked her to take off her knickers, leaving just the paper pants on."
The court heard that as the massage started, the client felt scared but didn't want to say anything as she was unsure on how full body massages went.
Mr Naik added: "He began massaging in between the thighs, he put his hands under the paper knickers she was wearing, she said she felt really scared and had her eyes screwed shut, she was uncomfortable."
He then worked his hands up towards the breast area and the area by the vagina and massaged there for five minutes, the court was told.
The prosecutor emphasised to the jury the specifics of the charge, stating that Joy was being charged with sexual assault when he intentionally touched a woman aged 16 or over and that the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.
Mr Joy was arrested on April 20 last year and taken in for questioning, where he denied the charge but admitted to giving the claimant a massage on that day, he explained to officers that touching the breast bones is a massage technique.
The trial continues.
