A man who claimed that sexual assaults he carried out on a patient were part of therapy has been sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment.

Gerald Peck was found guilty of three sexual assaults and two charges of assault by penetration following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.

He had claimed that he was an accredited psychotherapist who could perform Bioenergetic Analysis, but the court heard that he was not recognised by any umbrella organisation for psychotherapy in the UK. In police interviews, Peck claimed he had developed “his own niche treatment” and admitted he had allowed himself to get carried away.

Peck told the patient that the sexual acts were for genuine therapeutic reasons and would help to ease the pain she was experiencing. She believed what he told her and consented to them, but Peck had obtained her consent by deceiving her.

Daniel Harrison, Senior Crown Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Gerald Peck lied to the woman repeatedly, saying that the sexual acts were part of the therapy and not for his own sexual gratification and claiming that they would help to treat the pain she was experiencing.

“Although the woman consented to what happened during the so-called “therapy” sessions, she was cruelly and intentionally deceived by Peck, who she trusted.

“Peck manipulated her into believing that there was a legitimate therapeutic need for the sexual acts and she only consented to them on that basis.

“The law makes it clear that consent obtained by deception is not consent and because the woman was lied to, she did not have the freedom to consent.”