A Chinese masseur has been charged after allegedly assaulting four female customers at his parlour in Melbourne.
Hai Long Tang, 53, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with 13 counts of rape and 18 counts of sexual assault and was refused bail.
The court heard Tang was born in China and does not speak English but is an Australian citizen, and that he would therefore be “vulnerable” during his first time in custody due to language issues.
Police allege Tang assaulted the four women at his massage parlour in Epping between June 10 and August 28 this year.
Magistrate Jillian Prior rejected Tang’s application to be granted bail due to lack of prior offending and a delay in progressing the case, citing the likelihood of unintended contact with the complainants due to “overwhelmingly close proximity” of his accommodation, the Herald Sun reported.
But under recent changes to Victoria’s Bail Act, which allow alleged offenders to make a second application without establishing new facts and circumstances, Tang will be able to reapply before his next court appearance, a committal mention on November 22.
