'I felt like my body was frozen,' woman testifies at former massage therapist’s sexual assault trial - CBC

Former massage therapist Kenneth Braun leaves Saskatoon Court of King's Bench. (Dan Zakreski/CBC)Social SharingWarning: this story contains details of alleged sexual assaults.

A woman told a Saskatoon jury Friday that Kenneth Braun, a former massage therapist in Saskatoon, sexually assaulted her during an appointment.

Braun, 70, is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation of a young person in a position of trust or authority. The alleged offences span 1996 to 2022.

The woman is one of four complainants in the trial. Their identities are protected by a publication ban. Crown prosecutor Cody Yuskiw told the jury Thursday that all four will testify about being touched during appointments in ways that violated their sexual integrity.

“He pulled my underwear down below my bottom, I was completely exposed," one of the women told the 14-person jury at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon on Friday. "I felt like my body was frozen.”

She said it was her first time seeing Braun after being recommended by a friend.

She said she went to Braun for back pain and sore hips.

She testified that at the start of the massage, Braun asked her to tell him if she likes something or if she doesn’t. She said she waited for him to dim the lights, but they stayed very bright.

The woman broke down crying on the stand as she described what happened next.

She said Braun's hands went between her buttocks, and that his fingers moved toward the front of her body, between her legs, close to her vagina. She said he also used a massage gun. She told the jury that Braun used it on her bottom and between her legs, close to her vagina.

She testified that Braun then asked her to turn over. She told the jury she said no. She said he seemed shocked that she didn't want more.

She said she dressed quickly and left. She testified Braun offered her a discount if she booked five sessions, and she said no.

Defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle questioned the woman about her state of mind, the setup of the room and what she said or didn't say during the appointment.

She said she was in severe pain and desperate for some relief, as well as anxious going into the appointment because she didn't know the massage therapist.

She agreed she never asked Braun to stop or to not use the vibrating massager. She testified that she was silent for most of the treatment apart from small talk.

Pfefferle asked her what she understood of the terms "hips" and "glutes." She said she knew what they meant and that she used the words to describe big muscle areas as she usually would.

She said she was in a state of panic while driving home, called her sister and had a brief discussion with her about what happened, and even did some research to see if it was wrong. She said her parents later told her to talk to police.

"You were petrified, silenced from fear," Pfefferle said. "So despite his request you tell him what you like and you don't like, you're not in physical state to do that," he said.

Another woman testified Friday that Braun insisted she be fully naked for her massage, then touched her inappropriately.

She told the jury that after a friend recommended that she try massage therapy for severe pain in her back, she asked her pastor to recommend a massage therapist and if the church would pay for sessions.

She said her pastor recommended Braun to her and said the church would pay for a certain number of sessions, but only with Braun.

The woman said that at her first appointment, Braun told her to take her clothes off and she asked if he meant she should also remove her underwear. She said he told her yes, "that's how it works."

She said that at a later session, Braun asked her to open her legs wider while she was lying on her back.

"He said my thighs were touching too much and that I needed to open," she testified.

The woman said Braun left her bottom exposed while massaging her and that he touched her vagina. She said that, at the time, she thought it was a mistake or an accident, and didn't know it was sexual assault until later.

On Thursday, Saskatoon police Sgt. Leslie Van Den Beuken, who worked in the sex crimes unit from 2020 to 2023, told court she was assigned in April 2022 to investigate the women's complaints.

Van Den Beuken said she took two recorded statements from Braun, on May 13 and Sept. 12, 2022.

During a videotaped interview shown in court on Thursday, Braun told Van Den Beuken he worked out of a treatment room at his home. He said he was planning to retire, had arthritis, and had practised massage therapy for about 27 years, with regular training.

He said the complainant was referred to him and had told him she'd tried everything for pain across her body, including her back, legs and gluteal muscles.

Van Den Beuken told him that one of the women had said her underwear was pulled all the way down during her massage and that he used a vibrating device between her legs.

Braun said he wasn't sure about the underwear. He said that if a client said no, he would never use the device.

“She was so distraught by what had happened that she had to be taken to get medical care. She was throwing up, couldn't catch her breath and immediately told family,” Van Den Beuken told him.

Braun said he expected the woman would have said something to him if she was uncomfortable. He said he should have asked whether it was OK to undrape that side of her body and that he may not have treated her like a new client.

Braun said it was common practice for him to pull a client's underwear down if they wanted the area worked on.

“I am very sorry that she feels violated, but it wasn't my intent,” Braun said in the video.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. For support in your area, you can look for crisis lines and local services via the Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada database. ​​

Aishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She specializes in immigration, justice and cultural issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. You can email her at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca