Saanich massage therapist banned for 25 years for secretly recording patients

Saanich massage therapist facing voyeurism charge A local massage therapist has been charged with allegedly recording or observing a client while they were nude in a private place.

A Saanich, B.C., massage therapist has been banned from practising for 25 years after he secretly recorded video of female patients undressing before their appointments.

Gilles-Philippe Lavoie pleaded guilty in 2021 to four counts of secretly observing or recording nudity in a private place. He received a conditional sentence of six months, plus 18 months of probation.

The College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia published a consent order on the matter Thursday, announcing that Lavoie's registration with the regulatory body was cancelled effective Jan. 11.

Lavoie is not eligible to apply for reinstatement as a registered massage therapist again until Jan. 11, 2048.

The consent order, signed by the college's inquiry committee, describes how Lavoie positioned his cellphone in the massage treatment room such that it would record video of patients disrobing before their appointments.

The offences occurred between March 20 and Aug. 10, 2020, when Lavoie recorded videos of four women, according to the consent order.

In addition to the ban, Lavoie will also pay $2,500 to the college for costs associated with its investigation.