A man who posed as a doctor to women attending a gym in Tilburg since at least 2007 has appeared in court in Breda, charged with nine rapes.

Masseur Ron O, who is 46, was arrested in March and has been held in custody since then. He has admitted most of the charges against him, local broadcaster Omroep Brabant said.

The court was told O carried out numerous examinations of women’s pelvic areas, did breast exams and carried out cervical smears. Most of the examinations took place at his own home. His victims, who described O as ‘friendly’ and a ‘teddy bear’, only discovered afterwards he was not a doctor.

The police became involved in November 2015 when one of his victims reported the assault to the police. More victims then came forward, many of whom knew each other from the same gym, Omroep Brabant said.

Sorry

The public prosecution department, which says there may be more victims, says O has committed  ‘serious assaults on the women’s physical integrity’.

O is currently being assessed by psychiatric experts and is said to be extremely sorry for his deeds.

The case will be heard in detail in September.