Utah ex-therapist Scott Owen pleads guilty to sexually abusing two patients during sessions
The plea comes after an investigative report by The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica about the therapist, who was considered an expert in helping struggling gay Latter-day Saint men.
Note to readers • This story describes explicit details of a sexual assault.
Provo • Former Utah County therapist Scott Owen admitted in a Provo courtroom on Monday that he sexually abused several of his patients during sessions.
Owen, 66, pleaded guilty to three charges of first-degree felony forcible sodomy, admitting that he sexually abused two male patients “using his position as a therapist” and led them to believe that sexual contact was part of their therapy.
He also pleaded no contest on Monday to another first-degree felony, attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, in connection with a third patient — a woman who alleged Owen touched her inappropriately during therapy sessions in 2007, when she was 13 year old. A no-contest plea means that Owen did not admit he committed the crime, but conceded that prosecutors would present evidence at trial that would likely lead a jury to convict him.
Owen faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison during a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 31.
Provo police began investigating Owen in 2023 after The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica reported that summer on a range of sex abuse allegations against Owen, who had built a reputation over his 20-year therapy career as a specialist who could help gay men who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of the men who spoke to The Tribune said their bishop used church funds to pay for sessions where Owen allegedly also touched them inappropriately.
While Owen gave up his therapy license in 2018 after several patients complained to state licensers that he had touched them inappropriately, the allegations were never investigated by the police and were not widely known. He continued to have an active role in his therapy business, Canyon Counseling, until The Tribune and ProPublica published their investigation.
In pleading guilty on Monday, it was the first time Owen has publicly acknowledged that he sexually abused his patients. Prosecutors agreed in a plea deal to dismiss seven other felony charges that Owen faced in connection with the two male victims. Both told police that Owen engaged in sexual contact with them during therapy sessions — including kissing, cuddling and Owen using his hand to touch their anuses.
Owen admitted in plea documents to having sexual contact with the two patients, including putting one patient’s testicles in his mouth.
Owen admitted in plea agreement documents that, as a therapist, he was in a special position of trust when he had sexual contact with his patients, which he told them was “part of their treatment process.” Utah law says patients can’t consent to sexual acts with a health care professional if they believe the touching is part of a “medically or professionally appropriate diagnosis, counseling or treatment.”
In total, Provo police interviewed at least a dozen of Owen’s former patients, according to court records, all of whom say he touched them in ways they felt were inappropriate during therapy sessions. Many of those patients are men who told police they were seeking therapy with Owen for “same sex attraction.” Provo Capt. Brian Taylor has said that some of the former patients’ reports involved allegations that were outside the window of time that prosecutors had to file a case, called the statute of limitations.
Under a negotiated settlement with Utah’s licensing division, Owen was able to surrender his license more than five years ago without admitting to any inappropriate conduct, and the sexual nature of his patients’ allegations is not referenced in the documents he signed when he gave up his license.
Both state licensers and local leaders in the LDS Church knew of inappropriate touching allegations against Owen as early as 2016, reporting by The Tribune and ProPublica showed, but neither would say whether they ever reported Owen to the police. In Utah, with few exceptions, the state licensing division is not legally required to forward information to law enforcement.
The church said in response that it takes all matters of sexual misconduct seriously, and that in 2019 it confidentially annotated internal records to alert bishops that Owen’s conduct had threatened the well-being of other people or the church.
Former VBPD officer will serve 11 years for committing sex crimes against a child
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A former Virginia Beach police officer who pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sex crimes against a child was sentenced Monday.
Kyle LaLonde, 32, was sentenced to 60 years in prison with 49 years suspended, leaving 11 years to serve. A judge ruled he must be on good behavior for 30 years, he may not have any communication with minors, he may not reside with or be in close proximity to minors, and he must register with the Sex Offenses and Crimes Against Minors Registry. He will be on supervised probation for five years when he's released and complete any recommended sex offender treatment.
Back in September, Kyle LaLonde pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of an animal.
Prosecutors say LaLonde committed these crimes on or around September of 2023 through March of 2024 in Virginia Beach. LaLonde was an officer with the Virginia Beach Police Department during this time, prosecutors added.
Watch previous coverage: Former VBPD officer pleads guilty to committing sex crimes against child
On Monday, LaLonde's attorney asked the judge to pay attention to the support he had in the courtroom, referencing LaLonde's loved ones in attendance at the hearing. He also highlighted the character witness letters written in support of LaLonde.
However, prosecutors argued that the charges LaLonde pleaded guilty to were troubling. They claim LaLonde was having discussions with an undercover FBI agent posing as a 12-year-old girl on the messaging app KIK. He sent sexually explicit messages and pornography to the undercover agent and asked for sexual acts, prosecutors added.
The judge told the court it was very obvious there was support for LaLonde from his loved ones but said the photos submitted in evidence were repulsive.
He went on to say there are a lot of red flags on how someone with a great family and job could do this.
The judge then sentenced Lalonde to 11 years.
"I appreciate the court's consideration, the prosecutor asked for 20 (years) so the court found it was an appropriate sentence but still, it's a lot of time," James Broccoletti, LaLonde's attorney, said
At his sentencing, LaLonde said he accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized. He asked for mercy so he could make it back to his family one day.
At the time of his arrest in March 2024, LaLonde had been a VBPD officer for three years, court documents show. LaLonde was also a lieutenant with the U.S. Army Reserve when he was arrested.
When LaLonde was arrested, VBPD told us he was still employed by the police department but he was "relieved of his police powers." He ultimately resigned from VBPD, effective on August 22.
Odin Rathnam has been offered 15 to 30 years in prison to avoid a life sentence
if he pleads guilty to 28 charges of child rape and sexual abuse
Odin Rathnam, a former concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony and faculty member at
Cleveland State University, has been offered a 15- to 30-year prison sentence if he pleads
guilty to 28 charges of child rape and sexual abuse, which occurred over eleven years from
2008 and 2019 in multiple locations in Pennsylvania.
Should Rathnam not accept the deal, he will receive a life sentence, plus 70 years in state
prison if convicted.
The victim reported the abuse in May 2024 and the crimes allegedly started when the victim
was six years old.
Ratham, 59, was arrested at his residence in Ohio in July 2024. He is charged with one count
of child rape resulting in serious bodily injury, seven more counts of child rape, aggravated
indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and more, for a total of 21 felony and seven misdemeanor counts.
Prosecutors have given Rathnam until the end of March to decide if he will take the plea deal
or fight the charges at trial.
Rathnam served as concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony from 1991 to 2012. His
employment at Cleveland State University was terminated following his arrest last year.
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