Trial date set for Hamilton chiropractor charged with sex offenses

A 2022 trial date has been set for Hamilton chiropractor Dr. Stephen Boyd, who is facing 28 sex-related charges for alleged crimes against victims who are former patients and former employees of the practice.

After a scheduling hearing in Butler County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday that didn’t happen and the case was apparently discussed in chambers, Judge Dan Haughey set Boyd’s 10-day trial to begin Feb. 21, 2022.

Boyd, who is free on bond, was arrested Dec. 9 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 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.

In April, 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.

A motion has been filed in May by prosecutors 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,” Assistant Prosecutor Kelly 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.”

The joinder motion and others filed by defense attorney Chris Pagan have not yet been ruled on. A new pre-trial hearing has been set for Oct. 26.

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.

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