Niagara cop who ran massage business on the side sexually assaulted multiple women - Niagara Falls Review

[massage]

A Niagara police officer who ran a massage business out of his Port Colborne home has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting multiple clients.

David Kukoly, a 31-year Niagara Regional Police veteran, appeared in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines Thursday and pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault stemming from incidents that occurred between 2016 and 2018.

Police launched an investigation into the 53-year-old constable in December 2019 after allegations of sexual assault were posted on Facebook.

Court was told Kukoly had operated an in-home massage business starting in 2014, and had advertised his services on Facebook under the name Massages by Dave.

He went by the name Dave Allen, and never told clients he was a police officer.

Kukoly, who now lives in New Brunswick and appeared in court via Zoom, is not a registered massage therapist.

Over time, court was told, he had built up a steady clientele, with satisfied customers recommending him to other women because he was “super cheap.”

Various women, however, reported to police they had been touched in a sexually inappropriate manner during their massages.


Court was told Kukoly told some clients he had taken a course in erotic massage and offered “sexual release massages.”

Several women who declined his offer later told police they were sexually assaulted while on the massage table.

Many victims said they were shocked by what was happening to them and “froze” during the assaults.

Kukoly felt the women consented to the sexual activity but later acknowledged his belief was “not reasonable in the circumstances,” assistant Crown attorney Kelli Frew told the judge.

She said one victim was initially suspicious as the defendant’s fees were quite inexpensive so she brought her husband with her to the appointment.

She was sexually assaulted as her husband sat in the next room.

Another victim was nine months pregnant.

Kukoly told her he had experience with prenatal massage, and that he also offered “special” massages.

The woman, who was a week away from giving birth, said she wasn’t interested in a special massage but agreed to his recommendation of a pectoral massage to help with lactation.

She said the massage quickly turned sexual in nature.

At the time of the offences, Kukoly was on administrative leave from the police service.

In accordance with the Police Services Act of Ontario, he has been suspended with pay since his arrest in January 2019.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Judge Richard Blouin in April 2023.


The Crown is seeking a four-year jail term.

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