B.C. Masseur Receives Funding to Appeal Sex Assault Sentence

Ajesh Jacob, a former masseur in Victoria convicted of sexually assaulting multiple women, has secured funding for a complex appeal against his two-year sentence, which leads to his deportation to India. The B.C. Court of Appeal found no obvious error in the trial judge’s sentencing but deemed Jacob’s appeal not hopeless, necessitating appointed counsel due to his inability to afford a lawyer. Key issues in the trial included the credibility of complainants influenced by social media and the need for interpreters. Despite mitigating factors like his youth and community support, the judge emphasized the deliberate nature of his offenses and high moral culpability.

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