A former massage therapist in South Australia has admitted to nearly 100 sexual abuse offences against 40 women, with a judge revoking his bail after his emotional plea for “one more day” was denied.
Sumit Satish Rastogi, 38, appeared in the District Court on Tuesday, pleading guilty to three counts of indecent filming and 42 counts of aggravated indecent assault. He had previously pleaded guilty to 52 additional counts of indecent filming.
Rastogi, who worked as a massage therapist in Glenelg, Adelaide’s west, was arrested in 2022 following a nine-month spree of offending from October 2021 to July 2022.
According to the ABC during the court proceedings, Rastogi broke down as Judge Carmen Matteo refused his bail request, pleading with her:
“Can you give me one more day please so I can inform my parents? Please, I beg you.”
His lawyer, Adam Richards, requested that his client be granted bail for a few more weeks to organise his affairs, but Judge Matteo ruled that allowing him to remain in the community would be inappropriate given the severity of his crimes.
“I’m not persuaded that there is a compelling personal circumstance requiring the defendant to remain at liberty.”
“Any convenience or preference on the part of the defendant to be at liberty to organise his affairs is in my view significantly outweighed by the gravity of the totality of his admitted offences which render it inappropriate for him to remain on bail at this time,” she added as per ABC.
The judge highlighted that Rastogi’s offences were aggravated as he had abused his position of trust while committing the crimes against 40 female victims.
The matter will return to court next month.
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