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Sex therapists in £2m battle over ‘ hijacked clients’

By Tom Cotterill

TWO sex therapists are suing each other in a £2million High Court battle over claims one ruined the other’s business by hijacking her online profile.

Siobhain Crosbie claims former friend and protege Caroline Ley stole her clients after the two women fell out in December 2011.

Psychosexual therapist Ms Ley, 51, studied under Ms Crosbie and worked for a time from her practice, APS Psychotherapy and Counselling in South Woodford, east London, before leaving to set up her own firm nearby.

But Ms Crosbie, 55, who charges up to £200 a session for help with ‘sexual dysfunction’ and ‘transgender difficulties’, claims her business mysteriously nosedived soon after and it was not until 2016 that she found online inquiries for her counselling service via Google were being diverted to Ms Ley’s business.

She claims Ms Ley deliberately interfered with the online search tools and profiles in order to poach her clients and is suing for £1,422,418, plus interest of £456,109, alleging ‘cyber fraud’.

Ms Crosbie told the judge from the witness box that from 2012 she experienced a ‘drop in inquiries’ and was told by her clerical supervisor that ‘ the phone hadn’t been ringing for three months’.

A message which she sent in 2012 was read to the court, stating: ‘Things are absolutely sh*te financially.’

Ms Ley denies the claims and is countersuing for libel and harassment.

Gervase de Wilde, barrister for the ‘sex addiction’ specialist who charges £100 for a 50minute session, blamed ‘a quirk of Google’s algorithm’ for the ‘ mash-up’ of details from the two businesses, which had both run from the same address at one time.

In her own legal case, Ms Ley is demanding ‘ substantial’ damages for libel and harassment over what she claims has

‘Carpet-bombing campaign’

been a four- year ‘ carpetbombing’ campaign by Ms Crosbie to blacken her name on social media.

Mr de Wilde said this included claims of ‘criminality, fraud, dishonesty and tax evasion’.

He said Ms Crosbie’s claim that Ms Ley had been trying to ‘pass off’ one business as the other was ‘illogical’ and ‘unsupported by the facts or evidence now before the court.’

The judge has reserved his decision until a later date.

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