An NDG massage therapist and store owner could soon be going to jail for sexual assault.
Dave Kost, 49, has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two women.
Kost told the court Tuesday that he was nervous and ashamed of his actions, and that he would carry this shame for the rest of his life.
"I will forever be the man guilty of sexual assault," he said as part of his sentencing hearing.
The first sexual assault took place in March 2016 as he was massaging a colleague at his home office.
The victim said she was stunned and did not know what to do.
"I was probably in such a shock that I didn't know how to react. How do you get up when you're naked? So I just kind of prayed that it would end," she said.
In the months that followed the woman said she felt guilty about what happened and could not sleep. It affected her business and her marriage.
A few months later Kost assaulted another woman on his massage table.
Crown prosecutor Anne Gauvin said the victim became depressed and anxious, and still feels uncomfortable whenever she visits health professionals.
"It was even difficult for her to be at a dental appointment and it has nothing to do with any touching of the body. It's how she explained how it affected her," said Gauvin.
Kost is also a fishmonger who owns a sustainable seafood store.
The Crown is seeking a nine month jail sentence for Kost.
"It's not a breach of something that is only professional. It's a criminal act. It's a sexual assault, and it's nothing else but that," said Gauvin.
Kost's defence lawyer asked for his client to serve a sentence under home arrest, pointing out that Kost would likely go bankrupt if forced to stay in custody.
She added that Kost has already shown tremendous remorse and has been added to the sex offenders registry.
The judge will sentence Kost in December.
