Chiropractor pleads guilty to 11 sex crimes, faces sentencing in April

Plea deal dismisses remaining charges.
Hamilton chiropractor Dr. Stephen Boyd has pleaded guilty to 11 sex crimes committed against victims Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 in Butler County Common Pleas Court in Hamilton. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Hamilton chiropractor Dr. Stephen Boyd has pleaded guilty to 11 sex crimes committed against victims Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 in Butler County Common Pleas Court in Hamilton. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Hamilton chiropractor Dr. Stephen Boyd has pleaded guilty to 11 sex crimes committed against victims who are former patients and former employees.

Boyd, 58, was scheduled to stand trial later this month on 28 charges in Butler County Common Pleas Judge Dan Haughey’s courtroom, but with the plea deal that will not happen. Boyd pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of sexual battery, five counts of attempted gross sexual imposition and four count of gross sexual imposition. The remaining charges were dismissed.

The crimes Boyd plead guilty to are all third- and fourth-degree felonies. There is one guilty plea to a crime for each of the nine victims, according to prosecutors. Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said all the victims were consulted before the plea was taken.

He faces a maximum of 21 1/2 years in prison. Haughey set sentencing for April 8. The judge also permitted Boyd to remain free on bond until sentencing.

“The victims have been through significant emotional trauma associated with the defendant’s actions in these cases,” said Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Stephen Wagner. “It is the state of Ohio’s sincere hope that these guilty pleas will help the victims begin there own individual healing process and spare them from reliving these horrible events throughout the course of an otherwise lengthy trial.”

In February 2021, 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.

As a result of the guilty pleas, Boyd is classified as at Tier III sexual offender requiring him to register his residence every 90 days for life, and his chiropractic license is automatically suspended.

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 of that year.

Boyd, was arrested Dec. 9, 2020 after a grand jury returned an 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 Boyd 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.

In April 2021, a grand jury returned an indictment against Boyd for two new counts of gross sexual imposition, both fourth-degree felonies.

The new indictment alleges charges against a victim who came forward after the initial indictment as the ninth alleged victim, according to prosecutors.

According to the indictment, the new case alleges the crimes occurred between June 4, 2013 and June 3, 2016.

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