'I commend each witness for their courage': Former Peterborough massage therapist found guilty of 3 of 7 counts of sexual assault - The Pete

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Former Peterborough massage therapist Gerard Rodrigues has been found guilty of three more counts of sexual assault.

From his jail cell at Central East Correctional Centre, where he’s serving an 18-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting former clients, Rodrigues listened over the phone while Justice Timothy Breen rendered his verdict from the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on Thursday, Aug. 18.

Rodrigues, 62, was on trial for 10 counts of sexual assault, involving nine complainants. Two of the complaints were not called at trial and those charges were stayed at the request of the Crown.

Over the course of five days, between January and June, seven people testified that they were sexually assaulted by Rodrigues between Feb. and Nov. 2019 while receiving a massage from Rodrigues at Euphoria Wellness Spa.

The accused testified in his own defence and denied that he had exceeded the scope of the consent provided by each of his clients.


In his decision, Breen said he did not accept Rodrigues’ evidence, noting it amounted to a blanket denial of any wrongdoing, and that the accused did not impress him as a credible witness.

“Mr. Rodrigues was reluctant to acknowledge that it was his responsibility to comply with standards set by the College,” Breen explained, stating the accused attempted to shift responsibility for the absence of written consents to the spa.

“I was left with impression that Mr. Rodrigues sought to distance himself from any potential wrongdoing rather than answer directly or truthfully.”

Despite rejecting Rodrigues’ evidence, Breen found Rodrigues guilty of three of the seven counts of sexual assault. In conclusion, Breen said he wanted to emphasize that this was a criminal trial.

“My decision in this case should not be seen as a rejection or invalidation of any complaints,” he said, expressing that the central issue in the case is what was in Rodrigues’ mind.

“This is not something that is easily determined with the certainty required for a criminal conviction. I commend each witness for their courage in coming forward.”


Rodrigues returns to court Sept. 14, 2022 for sentencing.

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