Tokoroa man jailed for ‘massage’ that turned into sexual assault

Cheol Min Hong was in such a hurry to get to his victim's house he was stopped for speeding along the way. Photo / NZME

WARNING: This story deals with sexual harm and may be upsetting.

A 61-year-old man who sexually assaulted a young woman during a massage told his victim: “This is what we call a happy ending”.

Cheol Min Hong of Tokoroa bought massage oil before the assault on August 14, 2020 and drove so fast to the woman’s house in Hamilton that he was stopped for speeding along the way.

A judge said these were indicators that Hong planned the assault.

Today in the Hamilton District Court he was sent to jail for the crime after earlier being found guilty by a jury of five charges; two representative charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and three of indecent assault.

During his journey to Hamilton on the day of the assault, Hong received a message from the victim stating she wasn’t feeling well.

Although the victim, who has name suppression, thought it was a genuine massage, Hong had other ideas.

He set about closing the curtains and turning off most lights in the room, while leaving a television on playing music.

These actions sparked concern from the victim, but Hong spread the massage oil on her legs anyway.

She told him to stop. He didn’t.

Instead, he maintained he would “make her feel better” and give her a “happy ending”, Judge Philip Crayton said, in detailing the offending.

Hong turned the victim on to her back and continued to rub the massage oil on her legs and up her body to her neck.

“You took hold of her underwear and tried to pull it down,” Judge Crayton told the court.

“She resisted. You used your strength to remove her underwear.”

He then began to sexually assault her as she resisted, holding her down. As she resisted, the assault continued, and the victim tried to cover herself.

Hong removed his clothes and turned her onto her side, “hugging her tight”.

“You were telling her it would be okay,” the judge said.

Hong then told her “this is what we call a happy ending” as he urged her to relax so he could “make her feel better”.

The victim continued to try to stop Hong and eventually he did but only because he realised what time it was, the judge said.

Hong protested his innocence at an earlier trial and after he was convicted and remanded in custody he sent a letter to the victim, again asserting his innocence, and “made a suggestion to her as to what she should do”.

Despite the letter, Judge Crayton said while it was “manipulative” and sought to exploit the power imbalance between the two, he would not count it as an aggravating feature.

“It does though speak to your character flaw and what underpins this offending,” he said.

Hong’s lawyer Jared Bell submitted the offending wasn’t premeditated, rather more opportunistic.

But Judge Crayton wasn’t convinced.

“When I look at the facts... I am satisfied that you went there on this occasion determined to have sexual conduct with the victim under the guise, or disguise, of giving a health massage.

“This is indicated by your purchase of massage oil and given the very rapid way in which matters progressed.

“It is my assessment you were determined to engage in sex[ual conduct] with this victim whatever she thought about it and it was your intention.”

He knew that she was unwell and alone that day which was what he was “seeking to take advantage of”.

The offending was at a moderate level; it was persistent and repeated and had a level of indignity involved, the judge said.

The assaults had a devastating effect on the victim, Judge Crayton said, which would “mark her life for a very long time to come”.

“You have affected her life in a significant, and it can be expected, long-term way. That is a day-to-day real impact.

“You have undermined her confidence with strangers or new people and you have affected her ability to work, to socialise, to enjoy the things which she should be able to take for granted.”

Judge Crayton said Hong’s offending reflected how he acted “with a confidence and arrogance in your own rightness.

“The offending was about what you wanted and it would appear that at the time you had what can be considered a somewhat obsessive view of this much younger woman.”

Hong wrote a remorse letter to the court but Judge Crayton said instead it “in every aspect reflects your self-pity rather than any concern for the victim”.

The only mitigating factor in Hong’s favour was, apart from a speeding ticket, an otherwise criminal-free history, for which Judge Crayton allowed a 10 per cent discount off the end sentence.

Hong, who was supported in court by his partner, ex-wife, and daughter, was jailed for a total of four years and eight months.