A Qatar businessman who sexually assaulted a beauty therapist as she gave him a massage at an Edinburgh hotel has been placed on the sex offenders register.
Abdulaziz Ahmad Al-Ibrahim, 44, grabbed hold of the woman and began rubbing his penis as she provided the massage service at the reputable capital hotel last month.
The distressed victim fled the therapy room in tears and was later described to be “white as a ghost” and was “visibly trembling” following the sex attack.
The sleazy Qatar national was arrested and charged and he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the woman when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, 8 October.
Prosecutor Peter Finnon told the court the victim was employed as a beauty therapist and Al-Ibrahim had paid cash for a 75 minute massage appointment at around 3:10pm on 11 September this year.
Mr Finnon said the businessman was taken to a treatment room where he was given a five minute consultation with the employee.
The fiscal depute said the therapist left room for the client to get ready and place himself onto the bed and when she returned she noted he was not wearing any underwear.
Mr Finnon said: “The massage began on his shoulders and moved to his back and legs.
“[The therapist] noted Mr Al-Ibrahim was moaning a lot during the massage.
“He was asked to turn into his back to continue the massage. His legs were then massaged and he continued to moan.
“As his legs were being massaged [the therapist] noted Mr Al-Ibrahim had an erect penis.
“[The therapist] has said it is not uncommon for individuals to be aroused during a massage.”
The court was told the woman then became “alarmed” after Al-Ibrahim suddenly took hold of her by the waist with his right arm and moved his left hand beneath the covers.
The fiscal depute added: “He began to rub his penis up and down and his moaning got louder and there was more of it.”
The woman challenged the man before fleeing the treatment room and was seen to be “visibly trembling” as she told a colleague what had happened.
The court heard the victim had “tears in her eyes” and was described as being “white as a ghost” following the distressing incident.
The police were contacted and Al-Ibrahim was traced to his room and arrested by police at around 8pm the same day.
Advocate Andrew Murphy, defending, said his client, whose address was only given as Doha in Qatar, was a married man with children and he wanted to apologise for his behaviour.
Mr Murphy said Al-Ibrahim is employed by “a Middle Eastern company” and was staying at the hotel while attending a two week business management course in the capital.
The lawyer told the court Al-Ibrahim had booked the massage at the hotel’s spa centre “in order to relax” after seeing the service being advertised within the premises.
Mr Murphy said: “The point I want to make is this wasn’t some dodgy back-street locus but was part of the hotel treatment centre.
“The massage commenced and there came a point, and it is embarrassing for the accused and the woman involved, that he had an erection.
“That is not an uncommon occurrence.
“Mr Al-Ibrahim dealt with that incorrectly.”
Sheriff Christopher Dickson placed Al-Ibrahim on the sex offenders register and deferred sentence for the preparation of reports to later this month.
