Woman sexually assaulted by man posing as masseur

A kitchen porter who sexually assaulted a woman in her home while posing as a masseur, has been sentenced to three years in prison with the final 18 months suspended.

Gheorge Popa (66), a Moldovan national, had been working as a kitchen porter in a Galway City restaurant for eight years prior to the offence taking place at the woman’s home in Galway City on April 7, 2016.

A friend had recommended Popa to the woman, who is in her 30s and suffers from work-related back pain.

Popa pleaded guilty to the sexual assault moments before his trial was due to begin at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.

Sergeant Patricia Grady gave evidence that the victim’s friend had recommended Popa as a masseur and she arranged for him to call to her house to give her a back massage.

Her children were in bed when he called and the woman brought him upstairs to her bedroom.

She lay on the bed, face down wearing a bra, leggings and pyjama bottoms.

Popa opened the woman’s bra and began to massage her back.

He then told her to turn over onto her back.  She became extremely embarrassed when the bra slipped and her breasts were exposed.

Popa pulled down her bottom clothing and lay on top of the woman, trying to kiss her. Seconds before this happened the woman had noticed his trousers were undone. He sexually assaulted her and then immediately apologised.

She was extremely afraid he might harm her and her children so she said nothing to him but went to her en suite. He followed her and cleaned himself and dressed.

He followed her downstairs and told her not to tell their mutual friend. He said he normally charged €20 for a massage but said he would not charge her under the circumstances.

In her victim impact statement, which Sgt Grady read into evidence, the woman said she had been extremely frightened that Popa might return to her home.

She contacted the Gardai two days later and samples taken from her clothing and body at the Sexual Assault Unit, were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory.

Meanwhile, Popa returned home to Moldova, but was brought back to this jurisdiction in custody on foot of a European arrest warrant last May and was charged with sexual assault.

Samples taken from him matched semen samples taken from the victim’s body.

The woman, who was present in court, said in her impact statement that she felt “shocked, ashamed and upset” at what had happened. She said she had been left feeling violated and scared that Popa might come back.

She said she no longer felt safe and no longer trusted people.

“I feel angry and sad all the time. I will never trust anyone again,” she said.

Defence barrister, Conal McCarthy, offered an apology in court on behalf of his client.

He said Popa had worked for many years in Ireland and regularly sent money home to his family in Moldova. He had no previous convictions in either jurisdiction.

Judge Rory McCabe noted the maximum sentence for this offence was ten years and he placed the headline sentence at six years.

Taking Popa’s guilty plea, which spared the victim from having to endure a trial, his age and his previous good record into account, the judge said the appropriate sentence was three years with the final 18 months suspended.

The suspended part of the sentence is conditional on Popa leaving the country as soon as he has served the balance of the sentence, which was backdated to when he went into custody last May.

He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.