Locations
Papillion Road, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18
Description
A sports massage therapist from Wymondham who admitted sexually assaulting two women has been jailed.
Leon Tomasso, age 35, of Papillion Road, Wymondham, appeared at Kings Lynn Crown Court today (Tuesday 30 August 2022) and was jailed for four years.
Tomasso admitted two counts of assault by penetration on two women in November 2019 at an earlier court hearing.
The court heard how Tomasso assaulted the first victim on 19 November 2019 during one of her regular sports massages at a clinic in Acle.
The victim told officers how Tomasso had said he had misread the signs when she challenged him immediately following the assault. Then, when she questioned him over which signs had made him think that was ok, he told her: Im sorry, it was my male urges that took over. It wont happen again.
The following day Tomasso assaulted a second woman during a sports massage at a gym in Norwich. The second victim told officers how Tomasso had said the assault was part of the wind-down and how he thought she would enjoy it, when she challenged him. He later told her he knew hed crossed the line and that hed "let his emotions get away from him.
Both victims reported the assaults to Norfolk Police and Tomasso was arrested at his home on 21 November 2019 and taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning. He was released on police bail and subsequently charged.
In their Victim Personal Statements (VPS), both women described how they are still suffering the effects of the assaults nearly three years later.
The first victim said: I cant even begin to articulate the look on my husbands face when I broke down sobbing and attempted to tell him what had happened.
I have always looked for the good in people, focused on their positivesbut Tomasso has changed me. I now find myself filled with mistrust, wary of mens intentions and fearful of being nice in case its misconstruedand hope that eventually I will come to terms with what has happened, but the impact on me and my life cannot be underestimated.
In her VPS, the second victim said I felt completely violated and distraught. I thought I was supposed to be in a place of safety and respect, but this was not the case.
The last two and half years has caused a lot of stress and heartache, not only for myself but also my family and my fianc. Even though they do not mention it, I still see the sleepless nights and anxiety on their faces. I have become jaded and suspicious of people and that trust in people can be so easily broken.
Detective Constable Hollie Blaker, who led the investigation, said: The victims will never forget what happened, but I hope todays sentence brings some closure to their ordeal. I thank them for their courage in coming forward and for their resilience, strength, and support over the past two-and-a-half years in getting this case to court. They have never wavered, even in spite of the amount of time that has passed since the assaults, and have been supremely brave throughout. I know this has been distressing for them and their loved ones.
Tomasso exploited and abused their trust when they turned to him for help and were at their most vulnerable. Today it is because of the bravery and determination of these women that we have been able to put Tomasso behind bars."