UPDATED: Masseur who raped or sexually assaulted six clients sentenced to over three years' jail

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to sexual assault.

UPDATED, 4.30 pm: The former masseur who sexually assaulted or raped six of his clients while they were in vulnerable positions breached their trust and will have to spend the next 16 months behind bars, a justice said when sentencing him.

Weiqing Liu sexually assaulted the women during massages between 2019 and 2021, the ACT Supreme Court’s Justice David Mossop said when sentencing the 34-year-old on Tuesday (18 July).

The women talked about freezing or feeling shocked and confused when he assaulted them. Some went to police after hearing the initial reports of Liu’s arrest.

Justice Mossop said the main issue on sentencing was whether the offending was sexually motivated, as the prosecution argued, or motivated by Liu’s misguided understanding that he could get more clients by providing sexual services, which Liu had claimed.

The justice said he could not be satisfied of either, leaving the motivation uncertain.

But he did blast Liu’s claims, saying the rapist had given self-serving explanations for his conduct to police.

Also, he thought Liu’s claims of wanting to improve his financial circumstances would have been a more acceptable rationale to explain his conduct to his wife and relatives.

Liu was born in China, migrated to Australia in 2015, started working as a handyman after his arrest and may be deported when he has served his prison sentence, Justice Mossop said.

He was convicted on his eight charges and sentenced to a total of almost three-and-a-half years’ jail to be suspended after 16 months behind bars, which means he will be released in November 2024.

He must then abide by a good behaviour order for the following two years and two months and complete 200 hours of community service.

TUESDAY: One of six women sexually assaulted by their therapist during massages said the impact of his assault left her feeling like a “caged bird”, also remarking that her “cage is built from bars of rage”.

She said Weiqing Liu had seemed to have “such a wonderful, caring manner”, but he repeatedly sexually assaulted her on a massage table.

“I will never forget the feeling of being exposed and totally at his mercy,” she told the ACT Supreme Court at the sentence hearing for the 34-year-old on Monday (17 July).

“My body simply shut down, like a computer.

“I’ve struggled to understand why he chose to inflict such damage on me.”

Liu, who worked at the Capital Health Centre of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Phillip, has admitted to abusing the women between November 2019 and October 2021.

The women had gone to the clinic and he either digitally raped them, touched their genitalia or, in one case, touched his genitals against a one’s arm while providing them services.

“When his father-in-law found out, he died of a heart attack,” Liu’s barrister Kieran Ginges said.

But his claims that he sexually assaulted the women because he was under financial pressure and was hoping to get referrals for more clients have been blasted by prosecutor Lewis Etheredge, who argued that the proffered explanation did not fit with the agreed facts in the case “or make sense”.

Mr Ginges had argued his client had a misguided understanding about sexual services in Australia.

“He thought that by providing such a service, he would be enticing them to return and would in fact refer their friends,” Mr Ginges said, saying his client now accepted his logic was bizarre.

He said his client hadn’t been motivated by sexual gratification and his offences were opportunistic.

Mr Ginges claimed Liu hadn’t wanted to hurt his victims and committed his offences due to financial pressure and wanting to retain customers by any means.

Liu and his wife had been in the process of buying their first home, which was now being sold to pay for his legal fees.

But Mr Etheredge argued the explanation for the offences was made in a “self-serving form” and to minimise his actions.

He said it was clear Liu was losing clients as a result of his crimes, as the victims would stop seeing him after he committed the offences.

Mr Etheredge said when an author of a court report had asked Liu why he didn’t ask for consent, he replied that it was due to his lack of English.

But the prosecutor said he had been speaking in English to his clients, which went to the implausibility of his explanation.

Also, Mr Etheredge argued that if Justice David Mossop found the offences were committed due to financial reasons, then he also had to find it was premeditated, as Liu must have had a plan in place to get more clients.

Mr Ginges did say his client had given an acknowledgement of the harm and trauma he caused his victims.

“The more I can now feel the pain the victims suffered, the more I hate my own stupidity,” he wrote in a letter.

Liu pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and five counts of committing an act of indecency without consent.

Justice Mossop will sentence Liu, who remains on bail, on Tuesday (17 July).

If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT on 6280 0900 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.