Zahir Bhimani: Masseur who sexually assaulted female client during full body massage jailed

A masseur who sexually assaulted one of his clients during a full body massage has been jailed. Zahir Bhimani, 38, told the woman to take off all her clothes on her lower body, including her underwear, before sexually assaulting her.

Bhimani, who ran the massage business from his home in Coundon, Bishop Auckland was charged with sexual assault following an investigation by Durham Constabulary in September 2021. He initially denied the offence but was found guilty following a crown court trial and was jailed for three-and-a-half years. He was also placed on the sex offender register and handed a sexual harm prevention order.

The incident has since left the woman feeling "unsafe" and "paranoid that somebody else would sexually assault her”.  In a victim impact statement, she said: “I lost trust in the human race, especially males. It made me feel unsafe in the world. More recently I have struggled to sleep alone due to anxiety, and I have started having nightmares about things related to the case.

"I struggle with relationships and socialisation because I now assess the world in terms of danger and my safety. I mostly don’t go anywhere alone that could make me unsafe, meaning my independence has gone now. My anxiety became unbearable whenever I tried to do something alone, so I gave up trying.”

Detective Constable Toni Bibby, from Bishop Auckland CID, led the investigation. She said: “Bhimani used his position to exploit a paying customer while she was at her most vulnerable for his own sexual gratification. The incident had a profound effect on the victim, who has shown enormous strength throughout the police investigation and subsequent court process. Hopefully this conviction will go some way in enabling her to move forward with her life knowing that her voice has been heard, and her abuser is behind bars.”