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FARMINGTON — A Kaysville chiropractor has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually abusing eight clients.
Kenneth Walter Pierce, 56, pleaded guilty Aug. 1 to object rape, a first-degree felony, and seven counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. In exchange, 12 other counts of forcible sexual abuse were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
Pierce used to operate the Right Now! Chiropractic clinic at 150 Main Street in Kaysville. Utah business records show the office's registration is expired as of June 28.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7.
Pierce was arrested in September 2021 after a victim approached police and reported that Pierce had sexually assaulted her during her chiropractic appointment the previous evening. The victim arrived for an after-hours appointment, where she said Pierce locked the door and no one else was there. She detailed being assaulted by Pierce over the course of a two-hour massage, and told police she "was so terrified that she prayed that she would make it out of there," a police booking affidavit states.
The victim also told police about what looked like a camera in the corner of the room and said she believed she was recorded.
Pierce admitted to the touching but said the woman wanted it, according to the affidavit.
At the time of the woman's report, Pierce was already under investigation for a similar case in which another victim reported coming in for a massage where Pierce locked the door and touched her inappropriately.
Investigators eventually spoke with an additional six victims, according to the plea agreement. They each detailed experiences similar to those of the first two women. One woman said Pierce told her that massages are "a lot more fun" with his female patients, while another said Pierce asked her how long it had been since she'd been intimately touched, court documents state.