Massage therapist sexually assaulted women at clinic
A massage therapist sexually assaulted two female clients by groping their breasts during treatment sessions at his clinic.
Gavin Murray fondled the women after they had booked massage appointments to help treat back and neck problems at his business in Dunbar, East Lothian. Murray, 60, slid his hand under the towels the women were wearing and touched their breasts while they were lying on their back on a massage table.
Murray, of Dunbar, denied sexually assaulting the two women at his business premises but was found guilty following a three day trial that concluded at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday.
The first victim told the court she attended for massage sessions with Murray for treatment to her neck, back and shoulders after contacting him on Facebook in November 2021. She said during the second meeting he asked her to lie on her back with a towel covering her upper body and “his hands went under the towel and he massaged down my breasts”.
She said: “I have never been touched intimately like that apart from my husband in 20 years. I certainly never consented to it – I felt violated by it.” The woman told the court she had subsequently suffered panic attacks due to the assault and was forced to take time off work due to stress.
The second victim told the trial Murray used both hands to massage “down the side of my breasts” as he slid his hands under the towel. The woman said: “His
I didn’t do anything as I didn’t know what to do in that situation
fingers were so far down they were just about touching my nipples. I didn’t do anything as I didn’t know what to do in that situation.”
Murray told the trial he admitted putting his hands under the towels the women were wearing but denied touching the women inappropriately. Finding Murray guilty of both charges of sexual assault Sheriff Anderson placed him on the Sex Offenders Register and deferred sentence until next month.