Victoria masseur charged with sex assault; police seek more victims
A Victoria masseur is facing a sexual assault charge, prompting investigators to seek others who may have been attacked.
Ajesh Jacob, 35, has been charged with one count of sexual assault stemming from an incident at a massage and reflexology business where he worked in the 700-block of Fort Street, police said Wednesday.
Jacob, who goes by the name “Sam,” is the focus of “several additional allegations of sexualized violence,” according to police.
Investigators believe there may be other survivors who have not yet spoken with police.
The investigation into Jacob began in March, police said Wednesday.
The manager of Big Feet Reflexology and Acupressure tells CTV News that Jacob worked at the business for approximately two years and seemed to have a good relationship with clients and staff.
Linda Xu says she was made aware of the investigation into her employee in April, at which point she asked him to resign. Jacob promptly left the business and has not worked there since, Xu added.
Jacob was arrested on May 13 and has been released on conditions, including that he not perform massage services on any person.
Since that time, additional survivors have come forward with complaints about the man, police said.
Anyone with information about the assault or other unreported assaults is asked to contact Victoria police at 250-995-7654 or Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Correction
This story has been changed to refer to the accused as a masseur, not a massage therapist. Massage therapist is a title that refers to someone registered with the college of massage therapists of British Columbia, which the accused is not.
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