Therapist Jailed for 11 Years After Using Sex as 'Healing' Therapy
A therapist who fraudulently claimed he could heal birth trauma through sexual acts has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Gerald Peck, who maintained online profiles as a bodywork psychotherapist, was convicted of five sexual offences in February, following charges brought in October 2024.
Judge Condemns 'Charlatan and a Fraud'
At Lewes Crown Court, Judge Mooney delivered a scathing rebuke, stating that Peck had exploited a vulnerable young woman seeking help during a difficult period. The judge emphasised that Peck misrepresented himself as a qualified bioenergetics practitioner, a claim he described as a lie.
Judge Mooney declared: "You were banned from practising by the Bioenergetics Institute in the late 1980s because you used your position to sexually abuse women under the guise of therapy. Since that date, you've been nothing more than a charlatan and a fraud."
In addition to the prison term, Peck was ordered to pay £9,730 in damages to cover the victim's therapy and recovery costs.
Victim's Harrowing Account of Abuse
In a statement read in court, the victim detailed the profound and lasting damage to her mental and physical health, noting she still experiences terrifying flashbacks over five years later. She described how a friend recommended Peck for depression and anxiety, leading to sessions that escalated inappropriately.
- Peck encouraged frequent, lengthy sessions, sometimes lasting several hours.
- Therapy involved removing clothing for supposed skin-to-skin contact to soothe nervous systems.
- He made disturbing claims, such as her inner baby "needed to suckle," which progressed to kissing.
- Sessions included nudity, touching, digital penetration to "heal birth trauma," and oral sex framed as "energy release."
The victim expressed constant worry that other women might still be at risk, stating: "I have lived these past five years with constant worry that other women are likely still being harmed by him."
Lengthy Legal Battle and Systemic Failures
The case faced significant delays and obstacles in the justice system. Initially reported to police in February 2021, it was dropped two months later due to insufficient evidence. After intervention by the Centre for Women's Justice in June, highlighting the therapist-client power imbalance, the case was reopened in September.
By January 2024, with little progress, the victim filed a formal police complaint. In August, a legal letter warned that delays breached her human rights, and she nearly withdrew support. The victim recounted: "The long police investigation and eventually having the trial was probably as traumatic as the actual abuse... it was hellish."
She pursued the case to prevent Peck from harming others and to advocate for laws banning therapists from sexual contact with clients, noting the ease with which he lied about his credentials.
Calls for Regulation and Oversight
This case underscores a growing problem of unregulated therapists abusing clients. Nogah Ofer, a lawyer at the Centre for Women's Justice, criticised the difficulty in bringing such cases to court, stating: "What is really dangerous is that there are these therapists out there, and they're convincing clients that sexual contact is going to help them, when in fact it's incredibly damaging."
Catriona Rubens, a human rights solicitor at Leigh Day, reported receiving about three reports monthly of sexual and emotional abuse by therapists, often with few redress options due to police struggles in understanding power dynamics. She urged therapy bodies to support campaigns for mandatory regulation.
Sojan Joseph, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on mental health, expressed support for government measures to strengthen safeguards against such practices.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse is available from organisations like Rape Crisis in the UK, Rainn in the US, and 1800Respect in Australia.
