Former massage therapist with history of misconduct charged with sexually assaulting 8 patients

WARNING: This story contains disturbingdetails.

A former massage therapist in British Columbia who has been banned from the profession for sexual misconduct is facing eight new charges of sexually assaulting his patients.

Leonard Krekic, a 51-year-old resident of White Rock, B.C., is accused of assaulting eight patients during treatments between 2001 and 2017, according to a release from Surrey RCMP.

At the time of the alleged assaults, Krekic was working at a clinic in the 10300-block of 136A Street in Surrey, B.C., as well as at two clinics in Pentictonin the Okanagan Valley.

Mounties have also released a new photo of Krekic, "as investigators believe there may be people in our community or Penticton that have additional information that could assist with advancing the investigation," Surrey RCMP Cpl. Vanessa Munn said in the release.

Krekic was arrested on July 18 and has since been released on conditions including that he not work in any position that involving touching another person's body, including any form of massage or fitness training, according to RCMP.

Late last year, Krekic was banned from working as a registered massage therapist for at least 25 years in response to what the College of Massage Therapists of B.C. called "one of the most serious cases to come before the discipline committee, if not the most serious case."

Six patients came forward to the college with disturbing stories of unwanted sexual touching that included Krekic placing his hands under their underwear, massaging their genitals and breasts, pressing his groin against them and inserting his fingers into one woman's anus.

According to the Dec. 21 disciplinary decision, Krekic also began a close relationship with a much younger patient "for personal and financial gain," hugged patients without their consent, roped them into "inappropriate faith-based conversations," prayed for them and practised without insurance.

The disciplinary panel that decided the case found that "a strong message must be sent to the profession that sexual touching of patients will not be tolerated, and where this occurs, registrants will be met with the most serious penalties available."

Lawyers for the college told the disciplinary panel that Krekic has never really owned up to what he did, and "it is difficult to imagine a respondent who has shown less insight and acknowledgment of their misconduct than this one," the decision says.

RCMP are asking anyone with further information to contact the Surrey special victims' unit at 604-599-0502.