A fake masseur, Joseph Mooney, advertised his services as a professional and sexually assaulted injured women needing rehabilitation massage therapy in Medway and Swale. Joseph Mooney stated he was qualified to give medically approved rehabilitation massages on his Facebook page.
However, the sexual abuser had created a fake certificate to support his predatory behaviour. On December 14, 2020, Joseph Mooney contacted a victim who had liked his social media page and offered her a discounted treatment.
He arranged to visit her home address where she asked him to concentrate on her shoulders and back. Joseph Mooney’s massage became increasingly indecent, accompanied with lewd comments, and the victim told him to stop.
After he left, the incident was reported to the police and Joseph Mooney was subsequently arrested. Investigators looked into his bogus business and further victims were identified.
It became apparent Joseph Mooney had used his Facebook platform to target women and offered discounts under the guise of being a newly-qualified masseur seeking to expand his business. In each case, Joseph Mooney attended an address of their choice and, after starting the massage, went on to sexually assault the victims.
Some of them were shown his false qualifications and a number of the women gained the impression he was sexually aroused during the treatment. Following his arrest, Joseph Mooney showed his certificate to officers as proof of his professional qualifications, but this was quickly found to be falsified.
Joseph Mooney, of Woodgrange Gardens, Enfield, London, was later charged. At Maidstone Crown Court he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and possessing an article for use in a fraud.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the 44-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
Detective Constable Gemma Willis said: “When women receive a massage to assist their recovery from injury or other ailments they expect to be treated by a qualified professional. These victims placed their trust in Joseph Mooney who had falsified his credentials. He then went on to abuse them when they were at their most vulnerable.
“Joseph Mooney is an appalling predatory individual who has left women feeling violated by his actions. I can only hope his imprisonment allows them some closure following the ordeal they all suffered.”
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