- Shawn Ra Talbot, 55, is charged with voyeurism for alleged misconduct during therapy session.
- Talbot allegedly made women perform "humiliating exercises" under the guise of therapy.
- Provo police urge more alleged victims to come forward; Talbot faces civil lawsuit.
PROVO — A therapist accused of making two women perform "humiliating exercises" under the guise of mental health therapy is now facing misdemeanor criminal charges.
Shawn Ra Talbot, 55, of Eagle Mountain, was charged last week in Provo Justice Court with two counts of voyeurism, a class B misdemeanor.
The alleged incidents happened at Utah Valley Counseling, 4626 N. 300 West, in Provo. The investigation started on July 7 when two women went to police "regarding actions done to (them) while under the care of a licensed mental health therapist," according to a police booking affidavit.
One woman said that over the course of several sessions, Talbot manipulated her into lifting or taking off her shirt or "doing multiple handstands in front of him after taking off her bra," claiming it was part of "legitimate mental health therapy," the affidavit alleges. She "described in great detail how (Talbot) earned her trust and made her take part in humiliating exercises."
Police say Talbot was fired from his job on June 30 following a separate allegation of sexual abuse "and multiple complaints of sexual harassment by his female co-workers."
Detectives investigating the allegations soon "became aware of a previous case, in which Shawn Talbot was alleged to have done very similar things to minor females at a residential mental health treatment facility" in 2020, the affidavit states.
"During this investigation, detectives spoke with several women who (Talbot) had sexually harassed, and each allegation revolves around female breasts," police wrote in the affidavit.
When detectives questioned Talbot, he did not deny the allegations by the two women "but stated that these actions took place in a therapeutic practice and was meant to empower them. He denied that there was any sexual motive to the crimes," according to the affidavit. "Shawn used the guise of mental health therapy in order to put these women in these compromising situations."
Provo police believe there may be additional women who were forced to perform nontherapeutic requests during treatment by Talbot. Any potential victims are asked to contact police at 801-852-6210.
Talbot is also the subject of a civil lawsuit filed last year for alleged similar behavior in Tooele County.
Talbot has "a history of engaging in highly inappropriate conversations and conduct with children, particularly during counseling/therapy sessions," according to the civil lawsuit filed against Talbot in August of 2024.
One girl said Talbot "regularly engaged in sexually graphic conversations" with her and had her perform "trust exercises" which required her to raise her shirt, the lawsuit alleges.
