Luxury spa masseur who sexually assaulted five women is spared jail

A masseur who forced women to take off their clothing before assaulting them during treatments at a luxury spa has been spared jail.

Ibrahim Ali, 36, of Datchet, Berkshire, targeted clients who booked back and foot massages at the Nirvana Spa in Wokingham.

Ali made the women put on paper underwear, a type of disposable underwear.

He pulled the towel covering their bodies down lower than necessary and touched them inappropriately during treatments between November and December last year.

Ali was charged with four counts of sexual assault by touching following a police investigation in July and a further count in September. He pleaded guilty to all five.

Prosecutors have since revealed that two further victims came forward after Ali was convicted.

Ali was handed a two-year suspended sentence today, meaning he won’t spend time behind bars.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order – which places various restrictions, like travelling or internet access – for 10 years.

He must also complete 40 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 in compensation to each of the seven victims.

Lawyer Shilpa Shah, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘These women should have been able to feel safe and relaxed during their treatments.

‘Instead, Ibrahim Ali betrayed their trust, leaving them feeling distressed and violated.

‘The fact that all these women were unknown to each other yet recounted strikingly similar offending was a crucial part of our case – and its overall strength meant Ali had little choice but to plead guilty.

‘Ali’s actions were criminal and, as this case has shown, we will do all we can to secure justice for victims of sexual assault and abuse.’

Nirvana Spa has an annual membership of £2,000 and is the ‘UK’s leading pure water retreat, according to its website.

Guests over the years have included Dame Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig and Brad Pitt.

A spokesperson previously said Ali is no longer employed by the spa.

‘The safety, trust and well-being of our customers have always been, and will always remain, our highest priority,’ they added.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.