Iowa therapist charged with sex abuse has a 'long history of complaints'
A therapist charged with sexually abusing a 13-year-old patient allegedly has a “long history” of complaints related to his conduct, despite there being no public record of any licensing sanctions against him.
On May 30, O’Brien County prosecutors charged therapist Martin W. Wallace, 75, of Sibley with two felonies: sexual abuse in the second degree, and sexual exploitation by a therapist. Wallce was also charged with the misdemeanor offense of lascivious acts with a child.
According to police, Wallace had improper contact with a 13-year-old male patient on multiple occasions inside his Sheldon office – placing a vibrating toothbrush in the child’s pants, kissing the youth, and pulling down the child’s pants and underwear.
Sheldon police also allege that during a May 16 search of the office, Wallace was asked to provide records related to the alleged victim’s care and steered police to a different set of records pertaining to the alleged victim’s brother. During the search, police said, they left Wallace unattended in a therapy room, then heard sound of a shredder running inside the room. Officers intervened and asked Wallace what he had just shredded, and he allegedly replied, “I don’t know, it was just a paper from the desk.”
Days later, a former intern at the therapy office allegedly told police about records that were stored on a computer that was different from the one Wallace had given to police. The intern also reported that Wallace used video cameras in the office – something Wallace had allegedly denied during the course of their initial search.
Based on the new information, police conducted a second search of the office and discovered two cameras, including one that officers described as a “very small, magnetic hidden camera stuck to a lamp in the corner of the patient room.”
During that same search, officers asked Wallace for his cell phone, which he allegedly claimed to have left at home. Court records indicate Wallace then left the building and approached his vehicle, which was parked outside the office. Police reported they saw Wallace retrieve his phone, at which point they seized the device, which was displaying messages that appeared to be of a sexual nature.
Police records indicate Wallace has been accused of misconduct in the past, although there’s no public record of state licensing officials taking any action against him prior to his arrest.
In a written communication with the court, one Sheldon police officer involved in the investigation asserted that he had reviewed an “investigative report” from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which administers the state’s licensing boards. The report dealt with past complaints about Wallace’s conduct.
“Wallace has a long history of complaints about boundary issues with clients,” Sheldon Police Sgt. Eric Meinecke told the court. “Some notable complaints involved an intern in 2012 seeing an image of two naked men on Wallace’s work computer at the Creative Living Center; Wallace and a client being seen lying on the floor together in 2017; numerous complaints about Wallace’s communication with clients outside of business hours; and a report of Wallace using cameras in the Creative Living Center, hidden and without permission.”
Prior to working at the Creative Living Center, Wallace spent 13 years working as a school counselor for the Sibley-Ocheyedan School District.
On June 6, one week after the criminal charges were filed against Wallace, the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science issued an emergency order suspending Wallace’s license and charging him with engaging in sexual activity with a patient.
A hearing on the board charges is scheduled for July 30. In the criminal case, Wallace recently entered a plea of not guilty. A trial date has yet to be scheduled.
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