HAMILTON, Ohio — Prosecutors are requesting that two cases involving 28 sex-related charges against Hamilton chiropractor Dr. Stephen Boyd be combined for trial, arguing that all the alleged victims are former patients and several are former employees of the practice, the Journal-News reports.
Boyd, who is free on bond, was arrested Dec. 9 after a grand jury returned the original indictment against him for allegedly inappropriately touching patients and engaging in misconduct. Boyd has also been the subject of an investigation by the Ohio State Chiropractic Board.
The original indictment accuses the 57-year-old of committing sex-related crimes for decades. According to prosecutors, the original indictment involves crimes against eight victims who were juveniles and young adults in their late teens at the time of the alleged crimes. The alleged crimes occurred between November 1998 and December 2014.
Boyd was first charged with 12 counts of gross sexual imposition, seven counts of sexual battery, four counts of rape, two counts of attempted sexual battery and one count of attempted rape.
Last month, a grand jury returned an indictment against Boyd for two new counts of gross sexual imposition, both fourth-degree felonies.
Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Kelly Heile said the new indictment alleges charges against a victim who came forward after the initial indictment as the ninth alleged victim.
According to the indictment, the new case alleges the crimes occurred between June 4, 2013 and June 3, 2016.
This week Heile filed a motion to join the cases for litigation. In the alleged crimes, Boyd used the same similar manner to abuse victims under the guise of providing legitimate chiropractic care, according to the the motion.
“In each charge, (Boyd) would begin with arguably normal chiropractor care, which he offered for low cost or free to many, if not all the victims,” Heile wrote in the motion. “Each of the alleged offenses occurred at (Boyd’s) Chiropractic Office.
“(Boyd) utilized a similar method with each victim, beginning with chiropractic care and gradually moving to sexual activity. Each patient-victim went to (Boyd) for chiropractic treatment but ultimately found themselves in vulnerable positions with (Boyd) gradually or slyly escalating his touching from normal chiropractic care to unwanted sexual contact and/or conduct.”
Boyd’s court appearance scheduled for Tuesday in Judge Dan Haughey’s courtroom was continued to June 15. Defense attorney Chris Pagan said he will oppose combining the cases for trial, but declined to comment further.
In February, in a deal with the state chiropractic board, Boyd agreed to place his license on inactive status indefinitely, according to documents obtained by the Journal-News.
“Dr. Boyd further agrees that placing his license on inactive status does not forfeit the board’s ability to impose disciplinary sanctions against his license upon any adjudication hearing,” the agreement states.
The Ohio State Chiropractic Board sent Boyd a letter in February 2020 notifying him of sexual misconduct allegations by two patients dating back to 1989 and the early 1990s. Two more patients with allegations as late as 2012 were added to the complaint in June.
The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO 9 News.
