An Indian massage therapist has pleaded guilty to almost 100 sex abuse offences against 40 women in Adelaide.
Sumit Satish Rastogi, 38, appeared in the South Australia District Court on Tuesday where he was due to stand trial, but instead pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent filming and 42 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Rastogi, a married man who came to Australia from India on a student visa in 2012, had previously pleaded guilty to another 52 counts of indecent filming, ABC News reported.
The offences were committed against 40 female clients at a massage parlour in Glenelg between October 2021 and July 2022.
On Tuesday Judge Carmen Matteo immediately revoked Rastogi’s bail, prompting him to beg for one more day of freedom so he could contact his parents overseas, 7 News reported.
His lawyer also told the court his client needed time to organise his belongings and clear food out of his fridge.
But Judge Matteo said she was compelled to revoke bail given the seriousness of Rastogi’s offences.
“I’m not persuaded that there is a compelling personal circumstance requiring the defendant to remain at liberty,” she said.
“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 that she did not see an outcome that did not involve a “significant” jail sentence, and that the indecent assault charges were “aggravated” as he abused a position of power.
Rastogi faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated indecent assault charges, and two years’ for the indecent filming charges.
Header image: Left, right, Rastogi outside court (7 News).
