Shropshire therapist denies sexually assaulting woman during massage
A complementary therapist from Shropshire has told a jury he did not sexually assault a woman whom he was massaging professionally.
Andrew Sceats, 55, of The Dell, Bicton Heath, is on trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court after denying a charge of assault on a 56-year-old woman.
The court heard how police found records of internet searches from 2012 for "sexy massage", "nude massage", and "erotic massage", on Sceats' home computer and mobile telephone after his arrest.
Miss Heidi Kubik, prosecuting, said the woman had been assaulted while undergoing a massage at Sceats' home on December 12, 2013.
She said during the massage Sceats touched her intimately.
Giving evidence, Sceats, who has been a masseur since 1987 and also provides a number of complementary therapies, said the claims were lies.
He told the court the woman had been receiving therapy for a hip problem free of charge as she was a "guinea pig" for a new "pain management and lifestyle programme" which he had developed.
Asked about the alleged assault Sceats said his clients would usually wear just their underwear and would cover their body with a towel while on the couch.
He told the jury he had been surprised the woman had taken her bra off in preparation for the massage as this did not normally happen.
Sceats said: "One thing that did surprise me was I saw her bra on the chair. I have never asked anyone to take their bra off."
However, he said he was not concerned because he did not "expose the body" during the massage by using a towel to cover certain areas.
Miss Kubik said that while massaging her back Sceats had "lifted" the woman's shoulder and rubbed her breast.
She asked the defendant if the action had emboldened him.
He replied: "As I did not touch her 'boob', as you say, it is a hypothetical question."
Miss Kubik said: "When she put her hand on her face you leant in and kissed her telling her she had been in a lot of pain and 'it was nice to see her smile'."
Sceats said: "No, nothing happened like that."
Asked about searching for sexual massages on the internet, Sceats said: "I have an interest in all sorts of things but sexual massage, which seems to have been picked up and highlighted by the police, was part of an ongoing self treatment process."
Quizzed by his barrister, Sam Powis, on if he was lying, Sceats replied: "No I am not."
The trial continues.
