A Supreme Court of British Columbia judge dismissed an appeal by a Port Moody man convicted of sexually assaulting two women while working as an unlicensed massage therapist.
Justice Brian Joyce said a sentencing judge was correct in handing down an 18-month sentence followed by two years of probation to Mohammad Reza Alasti. Alasti's lawyer appealed the sentence, arguing that a conditional sentence - one that is served at home - would be more appropriate.
A woman was attending a spa for a massage when the assault occurred on March 25, 2007. Since then, the victim said she has had difficulty coping with stress, has nightmares and suffered from emotional consequences that have affected her relationships with friends and her son.
Alasti was also involved in another sexual assault while working as a massage therapist in Vancouver on July 27, 2007. The 46-year-old appellant is originally from Iran and immigrated to Canada in 1999. Shortly after he became a Canadian citizen, he qualified as a doctor of natural health and traditional Chinese medicine in May 2007.
Prior to his conviction for the sexual assault, Alasti had no criminal record and he was able to produce several letters of reference at his sentencing hearing.
