The sleazy boss of a popular beauty salon, who groped a "shocked" 17 year-old trainee's breasts while conditioning her hair, is now back at work after avoiding jail with a suspended sentence.
Hairdresser Shimon Alcobi, 44, the owner of SHD Beauty, The Broadway, Northwood Hills massaged the unsuspecting teen's head before running his hands down underneath her top and bra.
He denied, but was convicted by an Isleworth Crown Court jury of sexually assaulting the victim on a day between May 30 and June 30, 2011 and received six months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months.
The father-of-two of Holders Hill Avenue, Hendon later sacked the teenager after falsely accusing her of forming a relationship with a male member of staff and she reported him to the police.
"She was seventeen years-old, she worked at your salon in one of her first jobs, one of the first times she has experienced getting out in the real world and working with people," Judge Paul Dugdale told the father-of-two.
"You were her boss and it is one of the most unpleasant features of this case that you abused that position while pretending to carry out conditioning treatment on her.
"You took advantage and put your hands under her top and touched her breasts.
"What makes this such a disgraceful case is that you were trusted with this seventeen year-old.
"She trusted you and wanted to learn from you and you treated her as if you could do whatever you liked to her. That was a disgrace, your behaviour was disgusting."
Prosecutor Miss Pamela Reiss told the jury: "He offered to do her hair and conditioned it while giving her a head massage.
"Then he started rubbing the top of her neck and the front of her chest and put both his hands under her top and under her bra and touched her breasts.
"She was shocked, but continued to work there until August when she was fired for purportedly being in a relationship with another member of staff.
"This was not true, but they ended up forming a relationship later."
When police investigated the complaint two other young girls, an 19 year-old former member of staff and her friend, also gave statements against Alcobi alleging sexual assault.
He was also charged in relation to them, but was acquitted by the jury.
The former employee said Alcobi quizzed her about her sex life while shampooing and conditioning her hair and touched her chest, just above her breasts.
The defendant was conditioning her friend's hair on another occasion when the young woman insists he touched her chest and encouraged the girls to kiss each other.
Alcobi's lawyer Mr. Christopher Drew told the court: "He regards it as a shameful offence, but he does not accept he is guilty.
"The impact on Mr. Alcobi and his family has been a complete disruption of his and their lives and it will have a tremendous effect on his professional life.
"It is hardly a recommendation, this conviction, in his line of work.
"He is the lynchpin of the business and if he is not available to run it, it will close."
Before the scandal the salon enjoyed a £60,000 a year turnover.
"You have worked in the hairdressing industry all your life and before this had no conviction of any kind," Judge Dugdale told Alcobi, ordering him to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.
A Sexual Offenders Prevention Order was also made prohibiting the defendant working with staff aged under eighteen years-old and he will also have to complete 200 hours community service work and pay £2,500 compensation to the victim.
4 comments:
Following this scandal, Mr Alcobi's business has gone from strength to strength.
This is a FACT
His business has gone from strength to strength because he's not there now FACT! He was always very unprofessional and always perved over young clients.. I have no doubt he would do this. Not a nice boss to work for!
The salon may have enjoyed '£60000' a year turn over but the staff were underpaid over worked and never got wages on time!
Not surprised....at all
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