B.C. massage therapist banned for 25 years after voyeurism conviction

A Vancouver Island massage therapist who was convicted for voyeurism has been banned from practicing for 25 years.

Gilles-Philippe Lavoie was convicted of voyeurism and sentenced to house arrest in 2021 after he secretly video-recorded a female patient undressing at the beginning of her massage therapy appointment.

The College of Massage Therapists B.C. has now barred him from reapplying for a licence for 25 years, at which point he'll be in his mid-70s.

READ MORE: Vernon man cut hole in wall, filmed roommate naked

According to a Jan. 11 decision recently published by the college, Lavoie secretly recorded the patient during an appointment in August 2020.

"He positioned his mobile phone in a place in the treatment room such that its camera was facing toward the area that he anticipated the Patient would disrobe, turned the mobile phone record function on, and exited the treatment room," the decision said. "The mobile phone captured the Patient disrobing at the beginning of the massage therapy appointment."

Lavoie was charged with four counts of voyeurism, two of the victim were patients, and according to CHEK News one victim was his partner. The partner said the sentence of house arrest was a "slap to the face."

The regulator said Lavoie became a licenced massage therapist in 2005 and resigned a few weeks after a complaint was made against him.

On top of the 25-year ban, the College ordered Lavoie to pay $2,500 costs for its investigation.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.