Masseur praised by radio star appeals rape verdict

An alternative therapist who sexually abused a naked, blindfolded woman after he was praised on the Kyle and Jackie O Show has launched a bid for freedom from prison.

Steven Goldberg, 69, raped the woman and touched her breasts without her consent during a two-hour session at his home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

His 32-year-old victim attended in October 2023 with high hopes after hearing about Goldberg’s “magical” lomi lomi massages on the radio show.

In her glowing testimonial, then KIIS host Jackie O said on air: “It was something else, oh my god.”

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Jackie O or her then co-host Kyle Sandilands.

Goldberg has sought to overturn his convictions for a single count of sexual touching and an additional count of sexual intercourse, both without consent, after a jury returned guilty verdicts in November.

The 69-year-old alleges he should be acquitted because the verdicts were unreasonable or not supported by the evidence at trial.

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“An irregularity occurred during the jury’s deliberations which caused (Goldberg’s) trial to miscarry,” he wrote in grounds of appeal seen by AAP on Thursday.

He has also appealed a February sentence imposed in the NSW District Court of three years behind bars with a non-parole period of one-and-a-half years.

He alleges Judge Miiko Kumar erred by finding he knew his victim was not consenting when he sexually abused the naked woman.

Instead the judge found he asked “Are we alright to keep going?” before molesting her.

While she closed her legs in an attempt to make him stop, he persisted.

The victim was frozen in fear and in a lot of pain during the offending, Judge Kumar said.

The highly vulnerable, blindfolded woman would have also found it hard to move, lying naked on his massage table covered in coconut oil, the judge said.

If Goldberg is not successful with his appeal, he will be eligible for parole in May 2027.

He will return to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal for a brief hearing in August.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).