Adelaide massage therapist Jason Hagon jailed for ‘pathetic and brazen’ assaults on clients
A Morphett Vale massage therapist has been sentenced to six years in jail for indecently assaulting nine women in what a judge called “brazen and calculated” attacks.
Jason Hagon, 54, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault in South Australia’s District Court earlier this year.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Adelaide massage therapist jailed for indecent assaults on clients.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Judge Joanne Tracey said Hagon’s crimes were more serious because he continued to offend, even after he discovered a client reported his behaviour to police.
“Your offending was brazen, opportunistic and deliberate, committed against women in vulnerable circumstances while they were in your home,” Tracey told the court.
“You breached the trust they had placed in you as a professional.”
Hagon previously blamed a lack of intimacy with his wife as the reason he “succumbed to temptation”.
Tracey called his excuse to justify his actions “pathetic”.
Hagon’s crimes were committed over a 10-year period inside a home practice in Adelaide’s south called Hagon’s Heroes.
The court heard some incidents happened when his wife and two children were home.
His victims said this made it harder for them to raise the alarm when the incidents were happening.
Tracey called Hagon’s offending “wilful, premeditated, brazen, calculating and intentional”.
His victims chose to waive anonymity usually afforded to victims of sexual assault to speak about the impact Hagon’s crimes had on their lives.
“It’s been quite traumatic re-living the events so frequently to try to get justice for us all,” victim Cassandra Croston said outside court.
They said they wanted to share their experience to encourage other women to speak up against their perpetrators.
“(It’s) incredibly important for us to have each other and for other women to see that you might not be the only victim,” victim Sarah Eccles-Smith said.
Hagon was set a non-parole period of four years, nine months and 19 days.
Originally published on 7NEWS
