Three sexual assault trials anticipated for Peterborough massage therapist - ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

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A Peterborough masseuse, facing 14 charges of sexual assault and one charge of assault, has pleaded not guilty to all counts and will take his charges to trial.

Gerard Rodrigues' lawyer, as well as assistant Crown attorney Kelly Eberhard, appeared briefly before Justice Stuart Konyer via Zoom in the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on Monday, Feb. 8, where the case was addressed.

Court heard that it’s anticipated the accused will have three trials.

The first is slated to start Sept. 8, 2021, where Rodrigues will stand trial for three counts of sexual assault.

His case will return later in the month where two additional trial dates are expected to be set. The second is flagged for November where Rodrigues will stand trial for sexual assault and assault while the third trial will deal with the remaining 10 counts of sexual assault.

Peterborough police started looking into the massage therapist after a woman reported she had been sexually assault during a massage at a Peterborough spa on Dec. 9, 2019.

Following Rodrigues’ arrest, a male came forward and reported to police that he was sexually and physically assaulted. Since January 2020, at least 10 more people have reported being sexually assault be the masseuse, police say.


Following the initial charges, the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) launched an investigation into Rodrigues. The college’s website lists his place of business as Euphoria Wellness Spa on Water Street. Rodrigues cannot currently be employed as a massage therapist as an interim suspension was put in place as of Jan. 10, 2020.