A masseur has been remanded in custody for sentence after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman while giving her a massage at a Cork hotel.
Brazilian Lenon De Souza Seara (35), of Granary Court, North Ring Road in Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to sexually assaulting the 40-year-old woman at the spa of the hotel where he worked, on July 4th, 2024.
Sergeant Brendan McBride told how the woman went for a massage in a hotel spa in Cork and at the end of the massage, De Souza Seara asked if she would like a surprise, and she thought this might involve something like getting extra oils.
Instead, the woman, who was naked under a towel save for a pair of disposable underpants and had her face covered with a smaller towel, was shocked to feel De Souza Seara performing oral sex on her, said Sgt McBride.
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In her victim impact statement, which was read on her behalf by Sgt McBride, the woman told of her shock and horror when she realised she had been violated by De Souza Seara.
“I was flustered and vulnerable ... I was wearing disposable underpants, had a towel over my face and my body was draped with a towel ... I was otherwise completely naked.
“When the incident occurred, I immediately sprang up and took the face towel off, basically leaving me even more exposed, shocked and repeating: ‘No, no, no.’ I was naked and frazzled,” she said.
Sgt McBride said the woman immediately left the hotel without reporting the incident to management. She told her husband, who was horrified, and she reported the matter to gardaí the next day after pondering what to do.
“I flip-flopped between speaking out on what occurred and just never mentioning it again. After all, I was physically unharmed. To speak up catapulted me into a process I didn’t intentionally sign up for,” she said.
The woman said the masseur had said it was a “misunderstanding”.
“Okay, so it was a misunderstanding. What does that mean to me? Is it somehow my fault? Did I not pick up on something earlier? Was he testing me all along? What was the motivation? How far was he going to go? How many times has he done this before? How did I not gauge it and stop it earlier?
“I feel bad for what he is going through and wonder how he is supporting himself after his loss of earnings. It also makes me mad that I feel responsible for that. I did nothing wrong. I was violated. I spoke up. I have to live with the unanswered questions.”
Defence barrister Elaine Audley said her client made full admissions when questioned by gardaí and confirmed the woman’s version of events. He accepted it was his responsibility and said his actions were down to a misunderstanding, she said.
Ms Audley said her client grew up in poverty in Brazil, where his brother was murdered.
[ Retired Defence Forces member jailed for sexual abuse of two young girls in 1980sOpens in new window ]
Ms Audley acknowledged a probation report said her client sought to minimise the blame, but she said his instructions to her from the outset were that he was guilty and he was the only person responsible.
He had lost his job and apologised to his former employer. She said he is no longer working in the spa and leisure industry and is retraining. He would be happy to leave Ireland to avoid a jail sentence if the court so decided, she said.
Judge Helen Boyle said she needs to consider the matter after being informed that sexual assault carries a 10-year maximum sentence. She remanded De Souza Seara in custody until May 21st for sentence.
