Massage therapist Marcello Scariati who digitally penetrated women is jailed for sexual...

[massage]

• Italian man Marcello Scariati, 30, jailed for at least two-and-a-half years
• He sexually assaulted six women in West Australia in 2015
• He was working as a massage therapist when he assaulted five of them
• Digitally penetrated the women and claimed it helped relieve stress

By Australian Associated Press and Leith Huffadine For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 04:14 EST, 3 May 2016 | Updated: 04:19 EST, 3 May 2016


A freelance massage therapist who digitally penetrated women during massage and later claimed it would release stress will remain behind bars until at least 2018 then faces deportation.

Marcello Scariati, 30, from Italy, has been in custody at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Northam, West Australia, since July 2015 after he sexually assaulted six women.

He claimed putting his finger or thumb in the women's anuses during massage was a 'tantric' technique, The West Australian reported.

Italian man Marcello Scariati, 30, has been jailed for the sexual assault of six women in West Australia last year while he was working as a massage therapist


And he believed he had been doing the women 'a favour by doing something extra and pleasurable', according to the ABC.

His victims were assaulted in Perth between February and June last year while he was working as a massage therapist at businesses in Scarborough and Hillarys, and he also indecently exposed himself to a woman at North Beach.

He was sentenced in the West Australian District Court on Tuesday to four-and-a-half years in jail and must serve at least two-and-a-half years.


The court heard some victims resisted, telling Scariati during the massage sessions 'I don't feel comfortable with this' or making an excuse to go to the toilet then leave.

One woman had a panic attack then called her boyfriend in tears to tell him what happened.

The woman at the beach had said 'no' and pushed Scariati away when he suddenly kissed her, telling him 'you know you're not meant to do this - it's illegal' when he pulled down his pants.

Scariati has been jailed for at least two-and-a-half years, after which he faces deportation from Australia


He was arrested after a victim told one of the salon owners, then more came forward after police called for information from the public.

The court heard Scariati had studied tantric massage and never told his clients he intended to use the sensual technique.

'You gave no indication that you would employ an unusual massage technique,' Judge Anette Schoombee said.

'You committed some serious offending. They were very vulnerable when they were in an undressed state alone with you in a room.'

Judge Schoombee accepted a psychologist's view that the offending was sexually motivated but Scariati had 'cognitive distortions' in justifying his behaviour.

She didn't believe his limited grasp of English explained his conduct.

'I do not accept that you simply laboured under a misunderstanding,' Judge Schoombee said.

The court heard the university-educated man arrived in Perth in 2012 and was in line to work at the Italian Consulate but that didn't eventuate, so he fell back on massage work.

Scariati was only married for three months when the offending began but his wife remains supportive.

He sobbed when Judge Schoombee said his parents, who were police officers and had travelled from Italy to visit him, were ashamed of his actions.

Scariati was sentenced in the West Australian District Court (pictured) on Tuesday



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