Calgary massage therapist charged for allegedly strangling client unconscious: police

FILE - A Calgary police vehicle on Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Alejandro Melgar, CityNews image).

By Alejandro Melgar

Posted Jan 2, 2025 2:41 pm.

Last Updated Jan 2, 2025 2:46 pm.

A Calgary massage therapist practicing with an expired license is facing choking charges after police say he strangled a client unconscious in the northwest community of Varsity in 2023.

Police say it happened on Jan. 30, 2023, while a woman was receiving a massage. They say the therapist choked her to the point of her losing consciousness.

Officers received a call from the victim on Feb. 2, 2023, leading them to investigate, finding out the therapist had been practicing with an expired license from May 2015 to January 2023.

As a result, they charged 61-year-old Lev Bortsov with one count of assault by choking.

Police say he is expected to appear in court on Jan. 8.

Calgarians who were clients of the therapist from May 2015 until January 2023 are asked to reach out to police.

“Our efforts to investigate assaults depend on strong community support. Even small details can significantly impact an investigation,” investigators say in a news release.

Anyone with information about this incident to call police at 403-266-1234 or leave a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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