A former lawyer found himself on the wrong side of the legal system when he sexually violated a woman while retraining as a masseur.
Iranian-born Peyman Yazdi was in June found guilty in June of two counts of sexual touching and one of sexual intercourse without consent during a massage appointment in 2022.
The 54-year-old was training in remedial massage at the City Cave Wellness Centre in Mosman on Sydney's lower north shore when the offences occurred.
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had a voucher for a massage and attended the appointment with her then-partner.
About 10 minutes after asking Yazdi to focus the massage on her neck and lower back, the court was told he began to work on her left leg.
The masseur asked the woman to take off her underwear then removed them while she tried to do so, Judge Thomas Jones said
The woman testified she was "in shock and didn't know what to do" after Yazdi began making moaning sounds.
During the massage, the court was told the 54-year-old sexually touched the woman repeatedly without her consent and continued to make moaning noises.
"The touching could hardly have been more invasive or intrusive," Judge Jones said.
"The offender was motivated by sexual gratification and was aware (the victim) was not consenting."
In her victim impact statement, the woman said her relationships, friendships and employment had all been impacted by the ongoing ramifications of her experience.
Yazdi appeared in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court by audio-visual link from custody on Tuesday and wiped away tears as the judge delivered the sentence.
He had been a qualified lawyer and notary in Iran before he moved to Australia with his family when they were threatened.
Judge Jones jailed the 54-year-old for a maximum of four years, with at least two years and three months to be spent behind bars.
He will be eligible for parole in September 2027.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
