A REFLEXOLOGIST who frequently abused female patients during therapy sessions is today back behind bars.

But Stuart Hill, who was jailed for four months for similar offences in 2002, was given an eight-year sentence by Judge Richard Lowden, who accused him of "abusing the bond" of often vulnerable women seeking help for various ailments.

The sentence, and a ban on Hill ever treating women again, were imposed after the 57-year-old divorced father-of-two was found 'guilty' of all nine charges of either indecent or sexual assault, on the eighth day of his trial at Durham Crown Court.

All the allegations related to four female clients, committed on dates between January 2002 and March 2007, during sessions on the treatment bed at his Meridian reflexology and massage premises, in Neville's Cross, Durham.

Hill, of Red Courts, Brandon, near Durham, denied the charges, claiming he had "healing hands", but never touched clients' intimate areas during the therapy sessions.

He boasted that he had a large clientele of women who were clearly happy with his treatment, many still booking appointments even while he was serving his previous prison sentence.

But, the jury of nine men and three women convicted him on all nine counts all on unanimous verdicts following several hours' deliberation.

During the case the jury heard accounts from women explaining how he gradually gained their trust during repeated sessions.

He usually began with feet massage, but became bolder in his treatment, persuading them to remove more clothing, and moving closer to intimate areas.

In one case he told a middle aged client she required 'hormone therapy' and needed to achieve an orgasm at his hands, while with several of the women he used a 'massage tool' which one described as being like a vibrator.

The court heard that the mother of one of the victims was sitting outside while Hill indecently assaulted her daughter on the treatment bed.

Defending barrister, Tom Moran, claimed some women must have misread the situation, perhaps because of the manner of Hill's treatment.

But, following the verdicts, Judge Lowden told Hill: "You have been convicted on the clearest of all possible evidence of assaulting female clients.

"I don't doubt your ability to alleviate pain and suffering in some people.

"But the type of people who come to you have often tried other treatments.

"They are desperate and vulnerable people seeking alternative therapy, as conventional therapy had been unable to alleviate their distress.

"They became hugely grateful to you for what you did, but, as this indictment shows, that can create in vulnerable people a very strong bond of trust."

"The verdicts of this jury show you grossly abused for nothing other than your sexual gratification."

Judge Lowden described Hill's attempt to persuade one woman she needed to reach a sexual climax as, "particularly gross".

He added: "You have previous convictions for such offences yet you continued to practice and when you came out of prison you began offending again.

"I have no doubt you have done very considerable harm to these ladies."

When Judge Lowden outlined the sentencing guidelines, and mentioned that this case falls into the upper bracket, Hill visibly slumped, for the first time dropping his apparent confident veneer in the dock.

Judge Lowden placed Hill on the Sex Offenders' Register, and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order on him, both for life.

The latter order specifically prevents him treating any woman, "for reflexology, massage or any other purpose", after Judge Lowden rejected Mr Moran's request that Hill be allowed to continue to give therapy to female clients accompanied by a chaperone.

Under the terms of the order, Hill, who is understood to have recently moved to new premises, Feet First, in Langley Moor, near Durham, can still treat male clients.

During the trial prosecutor Amanda Rippon outlined the convincing aura Hill had over some more vulnerable clients who sought his help, in some cases becoming convinced what he was offering was, "legitimate therapy".

With one woman, who he gave hormone therapy, he mentioned a scale of arousal from one to ten, during sessions asking at what stage of arousal she had reached.

Miss Rippon said: "He continued to ask her how aroused she was and what turned her on.

"She started crying because she could not get aroused.

"She began to think that if she could not get aroused she would not get better.

"He told her she needed to be orgasmic."

Hill also licked her breasts and told her he was, "well endowed".

Miss Rippon described how the victim's face was covered with a towel when Hill used his electric massager on one woman.

"She felt the vibrating tool around her groin area and around her legs. "She tried to focus on feeling better and when the tool got very close to her vagina she thought it had been inadvertent.

"She trusted the defendant and the prosecution say this was a deliberate act."

Miss Rippon described Hill as, "a jolly upbeat man" and the woman in question genuinely believed he wanted her to get better.

"She did begin to feel better and she told her husband that the defendant was a miracle worker."

Hill would charge £30 for a one-hour session although he would readily offer discounts to patients, - sometimes charging just £5 or offering to waive the fee.

Miss Rippon told the court how Hill would deliberately target female clients.

"He has been described by the women as an enigmatic person.

"They came to trust him and believe he was treating them genuinely.

"They were then sexually abused by him and sexually touched by him.

"He did this under the guise of helping them.

"Sometimes it appears he simply took advantage of a situation, tried it on if you like.

""He left these women ashamed, disgusted and distraught and feeling they were to blame and they felt stupid for falling for it.

"His behaviour is not just indecent, it is criminal."

During the trial, Hill, told the jury: "I am unique. The results I have had with people prove that I have healing hands.

"A body is just a body, to me it's a piece of meat.

"My clinic is busy, day in and day out. If I was doing anything improper, the clients wouldn't keep on coming back."

The court heard he has no professional qualifications, but learned his skills on massage and reflexology college courses 15 years ago, on being made redundant by Gateshead bank note printer De La Rue.