Former Bangor Psychologist Sentenced for Sexual Assault and MaineCare Fraud

Maine Attorney General Press Release
Originally published August 31, 2012

Attorney General William J. Schneider announced today that former psychologist John A. Keefe, 60, of Veazie, pled guilty to one count of Class B theft by deception and one count of Class C gross sexual assault for engaging in sexual acts with a client and billing MaineCare for mental health therapy services for that client.

Penobscot County Superior Court Justice William R. Anderson sentenced Keefe on each count to three years imprisonment with all but 120 days suspended and two years of probation, to be served concurrently. He also required Keefe to pay $14,806.52 restitution to MaineCare.

From 2007 to 2010, Keefe engaged in sexual acts with a female client while claiming to provide mental health therapy to that client. Some of the sexual acts occurred in Keefe’s office at Columbia Psychology Associates in Bangor during mental health therapy sessions that he billed to MaineCare. On June 22, 2010, Keefe surrendered his license to practice psychology during the pendency of the criminal action through entry of a consent agreement with the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

The entire story is here.

NH psychologist's sex charges reinstated

Hollenbeck’s sex charges reinstated

By Danielle Rivard
Sentinel Source.com
Originally published September 6, 2012

The case of a psychologist with a practice in Keene who was accused of having sex with a former patient is headed back to court.

Burton G. Hollenbeck Jr., 58, of Richmond faced 30 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault before a Cheshire County Superior Court judge dismissed the charges.

Prosecutors appealed to the N.H. Supreme Court, which reversed the decision in a ruling released Wednesday.

Hollenbeck was accused of engaging in sexual conduct with the woman less than a year after her therapy with him ended, which violates state law, according to court documents.

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In its 3-1 decision Wednesday, the N.H. Supreme Court said the state has a legitimate interest in protecting people whose ability to consent to sexual contact may be compromised by the inherent nature of the treatment relationship, and in maintaining the integrity of mental health professionals.

The entire story is here.

Psychologist Christopher M. Allen surrenders license under investigation for sex with client

PsychCrimes Database
Originally published on August 11, 2012

On May 2, 2012, psychologist Christopher M. Allen surrendered his license to the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners while under investigation. According to the Board’s stipulated order, Allen provided psychotherapist to a female client (Client A) who was referred to Allen by her boyfriend (Client B). During therapy with Client A, Allen made inappropriate self-disclosures to her and displayed poor judgment by continuing to see Client A during a time when he reported feeling strong attraction toward her.

The entire story is here.

California psychology board issues sex misconduct charge against Peter J. Murphy

PsychCrime Database
Originally published August 11, 2012

On February 7, 2012, the California Board of Psychology issued and Accusation against Peter J. Murphy, Ph.D., alleging sexual misconduct and unprofessional conduct.

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From March 2009 through at least December 2010, Murphy engaged in a sexual relationship with the intern, whom he first met when he provided group therapy to her young son, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

The entire story is here.

Psychologist Carrie E. Schaffer suspended over sex with former patient

PsychCrime Database
Originally published August 11, 2012

On April 11, 2012, the Virginia Board of Psychology indefinitely suspended Carrie E. Schaffer, Ph.D.

According to the Board’s findings of fact, As of April 2011, Dr. Schaffer continued to be involved in an intimate and sexual relationship with a former client, which was the subject of an August 2010 Board Consent Order.

The entire information is here.

Sex with patients the biggest no-no for doctors

By Melissa Davey
Health Reporter - The Age
Originally published July 26, 2012

HAVING a sexual relationship with a patient is more likely to see a doctor banned from practising than if they give a patient the wrong operation, miss a diagnosis or breach patient confidentiality, according to new research.

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Of the 79 cases where doctors were guilty of a sexual relationship with a patient, 64 were removed from practice. Although it was far more common for doctors to be found guilty of inappropriate or inadequate treatment, writing inappropriate medical certificates and records, and illegal and unethical prescribing, they were much less likely to be removed.

The entire story is here.

Thanks to Gary Schoener for this article.

Psychologist D. Laurence More surrenders license on charges of sex with two patients

Psychiatric Crimes Database
Originally published on June 11, 2012

On November 16, 2011, D. Laurence More, M.Ed. permanently surrendered his psychologist’s license to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology.

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More admitted that, approximately one month following termination, he commenced a personal relationship with the wife and further admitted that approximately two to three months later, he commenced a sexual relationship with her.

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More engaged in a sexual relationship with a different patient without first waiting two years after terminating professional services, as required by Board regulations.

The entire story is here.

Va. Beach court psychologist suspended

By Andy Fox
wavy.com
Originally published on June 4, 2012

A clinical psychologist was suspended indefinitely and charged with inappropriate behavior with a client after a woman claimed he kissed her.

Local courts relied on Dr. Brian Wald to give advice on parental custody in divorce cases. In documents obtained by WAVY.com the Board of Psychology says Wald is a danger to public health and safety.
His website states he has conducted over 300 parenting capacity evaluations and now he's suspended indefinitely and the likely target of a civil lawsuit.

The entire story is here.

Charlottesville psychologist's license suspended after alleged intimate activity with former client

By Daily Progress Staff Reporters
The Daily Progress
May 25, 2012

The Virginia Board of Psychology has suspended indefinitely a Charlottesville practitioner’s license after her continued intimate and sexual involvement with a former client, according to an order issued by the board.

The document claims Carrie E. Schaffer, a local clinical psychologist, was not truthful in a self-report to the board in 2009 in which she said she ended a relationship with the former client.

The entire story is here.

Thanks to Ken Pope for this information.

LV teacher gets state prison for sex with student

By MCT Information Services

The Pocono Record

Originally published December 20, 2011

A former Allen High School teacher wept in anguish Tuesday as a Lehigh County judge shocked the woman and her supporters by sending her to state prison for having sex with a 17-year-old student on prom weekend.

Ms. Marvelli

Gabrielle Suzanne Marvelli, 39, of Quakertown looked stunned as Judge Maria L. Dantos sentenced her to nine months to five years in state prison. About 15 friends and family members cried and shook their heads as Marvelli, who had been free on bail, was led off to prison. Marvelli wept loudly.

"You violated everything that a teacher is supposed to be," Dantos told Marvelli moments before issuing the sentence.

Marvelli had been seeking probation. Instead she got the maximum sentence under the law.

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The student, a senior who Marvelli had previously taught, was a week shy of his 18th birthday and Marvelli was on the staff at Allen when the tryst occurred.

The entire story is here.

Former Utah teacher gets prison for sex with student

By Roxana Orellana
The Salt Lake Tribune
Originally published December 16, 2011

Former drama teacher Jeremy Flygare delivered a tearful apology for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. But the girl’s mother called Flygare’s statements just another performance from an actor who has manipulated others and lied.

Jeremy Flygare

"Your honor, please send him to prison. He has no fear for the law. Has no respect for kids," the victim’s mother said in court. "This is going to be on our family for life, not for like a year."

On Friday, Judge Thomas Kay sentenced Flygare to prison for up to 15 years.

Flygare, 33, was charged in 2nd District Court with three counts of first-degree felony rape, which is punishable by up to life in prison.

The story is here.

Patrick Lott, Middle School Principal, Arrested For Allegedly Recording Boys Showering

By Laura Hibbard

The Huffington Post

Patrick Lott, 54

Patrick Lott, Bernardsville Middle School assistant principal, has been arrested for allegedly recording boys showering at Immaculata High School in Somerset County, N.J., where he was a volunteer, the NewJersey Journal reports.

Lott was arrested last week after authorities used a Superior Court search warrant to find videos of the nude teenagers in his home.

The whole story can be found here.

Ohio Teacher Convicted of Sex with Students

Stacy Schuler

LEBANON, Ohio — A high school teacher was convicted Thursday of having sex with five students, some of them football players, after a judge rejected an insanity defense that argued the teens took advantage of her.

Stacy Schuler was sentenced to a total of four years in prison for the encounters with the Mason High School students at her home in Springboro in southwest Ohio in 2010. She can ask a judge to free her from prison after six months.

The 33-year-old Schuler, who could have faced decades in prison, cried as she was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.

The five teens testified that Schuler, a health and gym teacher, had been drinking alcohol at the time of the encounters and was a willing participant who initiated much of the contact. The teens were about 17 at the time. The age of consent in Ohio is 16, but it's illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student.

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Testimony from a defense psychologist had suggested that Schuler's medical and physical ailments, combined with her vegan diet and use of alcohol and an antidepressant, helped impair her ability to tell right from wrong.

A psychologist for the prosecution rebutted that testimony, saying that the use of alcohol does not meet the state standard for an insanity defense and that willingly getting drunk is not a legal defense for a crime.

The entire story can be found here.

Sandusky arrested, AG charges against 2 top Penn St. officials

By Myles Snyder and Megan Healey

WHTM News

Jerry Sandusky

Penn State's legendary assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky, was arrested Saturday on child sex abuse charges, as state prosecutors announced charges against two top university officials who apparently knew of at least one incident on the campus and did nothing about it.

Attorney General Linda Kelly said Timothy Curley, Penn State's director of athletics, and Gary Schultz, the university's senior vice president for finance and business, are charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse. Schultz's position includes oversight of the university's police department.

"This is a case about a sexual predator who used his position within the university and community to repeatedly prey on young boys," Kelly said in a news release Saturday. "It is also a case about high-ranking university officials who allegedly failed to report the sexual assault of a young boy after the information was brought to their attention, and later made false statements to a grand jury that was investigating a series of assaults on young boys."

Kelly said the attorney general's office and state police began the investigation when a young boy reported that Sandusky had sexually abused him while the boy was a house guest at Sandusky's home near State College.

According to evidence presented to an investigating grand jury, the boy was 11 or 12 years old when he first met Sandusky at a camp for The Second Mile program, a charity for at-risk children founded by Sandusky.

Sandusky used expensive gifts to keep in touch with the boy - including trips to professional and college sporting events, golf clubs, a computer, clothing and money - and used the overnight visits at his home to perform sex acts on the boy, according to the grand jury.

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"The failure of top university officials to act on reports of Sandusky's alleged sexual misconduct, even after it was reported to them in graphic detail by an eyewitness, allowed a predator to walk free for years - continuing to target new victims," Kelly said.

"Equally disturbing is the lack of action and apparent lack of concern among those same officials, and others who received information about this case, who either avoided asking difficult questions or chose to look the other way."

Kelly said that despite the false testimony and "uncooperative atmosphere" by some Penn State University and Second Mile officials, the grand jury eventually identified a total of eight young men who were targets of sexual advances or assaults by Sandusky, starting in 1994 and continuing through 2009, after meeting him through Second Mile activities.

The grand jury findings can be found here.

The entire story can be read here.

The two Penn State Administrators are now stepping down, after an emergency meeting by Penn State's Board of Trustees.  The story can be found here.

Psychologist found guilty of sexual relationship with patient

By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel

Published September 2, 2011

An Oak Creek psychologist was found guilty Friday of starting a sexual relationship with a longtime patient in 2005.

Jeffrey Adamczak, 48, faces up to 71/2 years in prison for sexual exploitation by a therapist at his sentencing Oct. 13. Jurors deliberated about two hours before reaching the verdict after a weeklong trial.

Adamczak was charged in August 2010. The victim, with whom he carried on a yearlong affair before she broke it off in 2006, reported Adamczak to authorities in March 2010 after she became convinced that he was again having sexual contact with patients.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet directed that the woman not be named in news reports.

A second former patient also testified that Adamczak had sexual contact with her in 2004, and two other former patients described what they considered inappropriate sexual comments from him during therapy. Adamczak flatly denied those allegations.

His attorney, Gerald Boyle, told jurors in closing arguments that jealousy drove the woman to destroy Adamczak, and said his client's testimony and office records showed the affair didn't start until after he had closed the woman's file, ending the therapist relationship.

The woman, a 40-year-old physical therapist, had been in near weekly counseling with Adamczak for about three years when he initiated sexual contact with her at a session in February 2005, after she told him she had filed for divorce from her husband.

Timing questioned

At trial, both parties testified about a memorable tryst at a Milwaukee hotel suite, replete with candles, special music and rose petals scattered near the whirlpool tub.

But when she was interviewed earlier by police, the woman said she couldn't recall the exact date, or the hotel where she and Adamczak had the experience they referred to as "Paris."

And that, his attorney argued to jurors Friday, was a big red flag on her credibility.

"If she can't remember "Paris,' " Boyle said, jurors shouldn't believe her testimony about exactly when she first had sex with Adamczak.

The timing of the first encounters was a key question for jurors. The woman testified it was in February 2005, just after she had filed for divorce, and that her therapist initiated three sexual episodes before finally telling her she could no longer be his patient "on paper."

Adamczak testified she came on to him, in late March 2005, several weeks after he had determined she no longer needed counseling and closed her file.

The entire story can be found here.