‘Predatory’ massage therapist, 64, used business to molest ‘frightened’ female client

This is the third woman Jay Steel has been convicted of sexually assaulting during a session

A “predatory” massage therapist with previous convictions for molesting female clients has been handed a suspended jail sentence for another sexual assault during a therapy session. Jay Steel, 64, groped a female massage client who felt “powerless” during the hour-long session, a court heard yesterday (Thursday, November 5).

Prosecutor Andrew Dowden told Snaresbrook Crown Court that the incident happened in May 2016, while Steel was posing as a masseur. The victim came forward after hearing about his convictions for sexual assaults which happened in 2017 and 2019, carried out while he was supposedly massaging two women.

He was convicted of three counts of sexual assault in relation to this victim following a trial in August. Outlining the case, Judge Alexia Power said that the victim had booked herself a “treat” of a deep tissue massage, which was carried out by Steel in South East London. “She said that the massage was initially normal, he was massaging her back, arms and shoulders and moved onto her legs,” the judge said.

The prosecutor said that Steel set himself out as a “massage therapist dealing almost entirely, on his evidence, with female customers”. He showed a “pattern of offending”, Mr Dowden said.

In a statement read out on the victim’s behalf, the prosecutor said she felt “powerless, scared, completely frozen” during the supposed massage, which lasted an hour. Mr Dowden said: “There were multiple occasions when the defendant turned his attention to the area of the body mentioned in all three counts, for example, touching her bottom.

“She detailed the amount of time that he spent in that area, massaging around and gravitating in the direction of her [genitals]. He on a number of occasions touched her [genitals] over clothing, and continued to press his clothed genitals into her hand when she tried to resist what he was doing.”

The prosecutor added that Steel had made an audio recording of the incident. Mr Dowden continued: “There’s an abuse of trust – somebody would come in and place themselves in a vulnerable position, taking off clothing and being prostate on a massage table in a small room with a male therapist.

“There’s also the recording of the offence, the audio recording of the offence, which we heard during the trial. We don’t know why the defendant did that, but it was clearly done.”

The judge found that there was no legal breach of trust, and said that he had asked the victim to sign a consent form for the massage to be audio recorded. She told Steel that the victim was “frightened, as you were closer to the door and she couldn’t easily leave”.

Ms Power gave Steel a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He will have to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the next 10 years. Steel will not be able to work as a masseur or a sports therapist. He will also need to pay a statutory surcharge.

Defending himself in court, Steel claimed he was innocent, and that he had simply carried out a “back treatment” for the victim. He admitted that a report said he had “predatory tendencies”, though he disputed this.

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