Dr. Stephen Boyd
An Ohio chiropractor charged with sexually abusing at least nine of his former patients and employees entered a guilty plea on Thursday, just weeks before his trial.
In a plea deal with prosecutors, Dr. Stephen Boyd entered a guilty plea to two counts of sexual battery, five counts of attempted gross sexual imposition, and four counts of gross sexual imposition. The deal did not require Boyd to enter a guilty plea to any of the multiple rape charges he faced in court later this month.
Boyd, 58, remains a free man until next month, when he is scheduled to report to court for sentencing. According to court records, he faces a maximum of 21.5 years behind bars and has already registered as a sex offender. He will need to update that registration every 90 days.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said that his office, the defendant, and the victims all approved the details of the plea agreement.
Court records show that in several cases, Boyd would put his hand on the genitals of his patients for extended periods and no medical purpose. He would also ask patients to wear thin gowns while he took X-Rays. A former employee told prosecutors that this was to see the genitalia through the gowns, alleging he would even adjust the imaging machine to make sure he got the patient’s genitals in the image.
In late 2020, prosecutors indicted Boyd on charges including four counts of rape, two counts of attempted sexual battery, one count of attempted rape, seven counts of sexual battery, and twelve counts of gross sexual imposition. The prosecutor in the case explained that these alleged sex crimes occurred between 1998 and 2012 and involved eight of Dr. Boyd’s former patients.
Court records reveal that at least one of the eight victims was a minor at the time and that most of the victims were teenagers. Two additional charges would be added later when a ninth victim came forward.
The victims were both male and female, according to court documents.
Hamilton Police Chief Craig Bucheit has said that his office is still looking into the claims made by other former patients and employees who claim to have been victims of Boyd. After arresting the doctor in 2020 following the initial indictment, Chief Bucheit stated that police had been fielding accusations dating back to 1989 against the medical professional.
The Ohio State Chiropractic Board also received four complaints about Boyd in recent years. That group also has an ongoing case but could work out a plea deal of their own that involved Boyd making his medical license invalid, indefinitely.
The conclusion of the case will all hopefully provide closure to his victims, according to the lawyers prosecuting the case, and allow them to try and move on with their lives.
“The victims have been through significant emotional trauma associated with the defendant’s actions in these cases,” Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Stephen Wagner told the Journal-News on Thursday. “It is the state of Ohio’s sincere hope that these guilty pleas will help the victims begin their own individual healing process and spare them from reliving these horrible events throughout the course of an otherwise lengthy trial.”
[Image via Hamilton Police Department]