By Eva Blandis for ABC
Sumit Satish Rastogi was working as a massage therapist at Glenelg in Adelaide's west when he was arrested. Photo: 123rf
A former massage therapist has pleaded guilty in a South Australian court to almost 100 sexual abuse offences against 40 women.
Sumit Satish Rastogi, 38, appeared in the District Court on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent filming and 42 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
He previously pleaded guilty to another 52 counts of indecent filming.
Rastogi was working as a massage therapist at Glenelg in Adelaide's west when he was arrested by police and charged with the offences spanning nine months from October 2021 to July 2022.
The 38-year-old became emotional in the dock when Judge Carmen Matteo revoked his bail, and begged her to give him "one more day".
"Can you give me one more day please so I can inform my parents? Please, I beg you," he said.
Defence lawyer Adam Richards, for Rastogi, had asked his client to remain on bail for a few weeks to get his affairs in order, but Judge Matteo said it would be inappropriate for the man to remain in the community after admitting such serious 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."
Judge Matteo said the offences to which Rastogi pleaded guilty to "relate to 40 female adult victims" with the offences of indecent assault being aggravated in nature because he abused "a position of trust in committing the offences".
The matter will return to court next month.
- This story was first published by ABC
