Predatory Fitness: Gym owner secretly filmed 35 women in shocking breach of trust

CO WESTMEATH, Ireland - A personal trainer who was convicted of a "predatory" sexual attack on a woman seeking treatment for chronic back problems secretly videotaped 35 other women topless as he massaged them at his gym, according to reports released on Friday.

Shane Flynn, 35, who owns and operates NGS Gym & Rehabilitation Clinic, now known as Recode, in Mullingar, County Westmeath, and has a sizable social media following, will be punished later.

Judge Ronan Munro remanded him on bail with "stringent" conditions, citing a "predatory aspect to the crimes committed."

The Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court heard on Friday that 18 hours of video footage on Flynn's laptop showed him making provocative remarks to women and touching their breasts.

Flynn, of Dalystown, Mullingar, denied sexually assaulting a lady in January 2021 but accepted to a second charge of offensive sexual conduct by making covert digital recordings of ladies at his gym without their knowledge or consent between July 2018 and August 2018.

Following a six-day trial, a jury of nine men and three women convicted him of sexually assaulting the woman after she attended an appointment at his gym, NGS (Next Gen Speed), at Westside House in Mullingar.

The woman testified before the jury that she sought treatment for her long-term scoliosis and significant back pain.

Jurors heard that during massage therapy, Flynn urged the victim, who was in her mid-20s at the time, to take off her bra and shorts and then walked back in on her while she was still doing so.

She claimed he informed her that once she took down her shorts, he said, "He would have taken them off me sooner."

The trial heard that during the massage, he told the woman that she was making him hard. Flynn asked if she wanted a "happy ending" massage, made many improper statements, then touched her breasts, vagina, pubic area, and buttocks, frightening her, before asking if it was his time.

The victim claimed that the accused informed her that he would finish her in 30 seconds using only his hands. "When I said no, he said, 'You wouldn't be saying that if I had my clothes off'".

Divisional Protective Services Unit Detective Sergeant Niall Smyth presented new information regarding the secret recordings on Friday.

He told the prosecutor that when Flynn was questioned about the sexual assault, he denied it but also admitted to using his laptop to record women.

Garda Kelly described the recordings found from the hard drive that 37 women were included in 18 hours of footage, with 35 of them having their breasts displayed on camera.

Judge Munro remarked that the defense needed time to draft a mitigating plea and requested a pre-sentence probation report for the accused.

Flynn only spoke to confirm that he would hand up his passport and understood the bail conditions, which included an order to avoid one-on-one contact with female clients.

Sexual assault can result in a maximum ten-year prison sentence, while covert filming can result in a two-year jail term.