Vancouver masseur booked through app charged with sex assault
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2019 19:55:35 +0000
A Vancouver man who offered massage services through a smartphone app has been charged with sexual assault.
Police began investigating after a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted in her Downtown Vancouver home by a masseur she hired to provide an in-home treatment.
Cops later identified Alexander Varfolomeev, 33, as a suspect and he was arrested Tuesday. Investigators say Varfolomeev was likely self-employed and had been using an app called Soothe to book clients and provide services in the clients’ homes.
Soothe allows people to hire massage therapists between the hours of 8 a.m. and midnight to provide in-home services. Soothe’s website claims masseuses listed on its app are “vetted, background-checked.” The app allows people to select either a male or female practitioner, or either if no preference, but doesn’t reveal the name or photo of a specific masseuse before booking.
Varfolomeev isn’t registered with the College of Massage Therapists of B.C., which is a professional requirement.
A LinkedIn profile for an individual of the same name says Varfolomeev has worked as a manual therapist for a year in the Vancouver area. The profile links to a website that highlights a number of education and certification qualifications, but no mention of Varfolomeev is listed on the website.
Varfolomeev has been released on bail and ordered not to provide any services to the public.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about Varfolomeev, or who believes they may have been victimized, to contact police.
To find a registered massage therapist, you can search through the College of Massage Therapists of B.C.’s online registry.
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