A massage therapist in Taichung, Taiwan, has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, after he sexually assaulted a male client during a massage session despite the man’s clear attempts to resist.
According to the ruling, the incident happened at around 5.10pm on 5 October last year at a massage parlour in Taichung’s North District. The defendant, identified as a male massage therapist surnamed Lin, was attending to the client in a private room when he allegedly crossed the boundaries of the massage service.
During a lower-body massage, Lin reportedly attempted to pull down the client’s trousers and underwear. The client resisted by using his ankle to hold onto his clothing, a physical action the court found clearly indicated that he did not consent. Despite this, Lin allegedly continued, removed the client’s clothing and carried out unwanted sexual acts.
The client later reported the incident to police, prompting an investigation. During court proceedings, Lin admitted to the offence and reached a settlement with the victim.
Prosecutors and the court reviewed several pieces of evidence, including the victim’s statements to police, a hand-drawn diagram of the scene, CCTV footage and screenshots, the massage receipt, chat records, medical documentation and other relevant examination materials.
The court ruled that Lin’s actions amounted to sexual assault because he continued despite the client’s obvious refusal. The court also noted that an offence involving sexual acts against a person’s will does not necessarily require physical violence or threats; interfering with a person’s freedom to make decisions about sexual conduct can also meet the legal threshold.
Lin was originally facing a minimum sentence of three years for the offence. However, the court reduced the sentence to two years after taking into account his admission of guilt and the settlement reached with the victim.
As part of the settlement, Lin agreed to pay the victim NT$450,000 (approximately RM63,000). He paid NT$90,000 upfront, with the remaining NT$360,000 to be paid in monthly instalments of NT$10,000 from May this year until the amount is fully settled. Failure to make any instalment would reportedly trigger the remaining balance as immediately due, along with an additional NT$350,000 penalty.
The court subsequently suspended Lin’s two-year prison sentence for two years. He was also ordered to undergo three sessions of legal education and remain under probation supervision during the suspension period.
