Ashwaubenon chiropractor is accused of sexually abusing patients and employees

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WBAY) – A local chiropractor could face prison time for sexually abusing three of his patients.

The Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department began investigating 76-year-old Ray Roddan in March after a woman reported he put his hand down her underwear and grabbed her genitals.

According to the criminal complaint, she grabbed her wrist and didn't immediately let go because she wasn't comfortable with what he was doing. She posted about what happened in a Facebook group, and other women responded saying the same thing had happened to them.

The investigator interviewed three women who reported sexual assaults.

A military veteran said Roddan began treatment in 2019. After several appointments, he said he had a special treatment that he could use to treat her back pain by working on knots and trigger points in her legs, but then he started working on her pubic bone. The woman said she tried to mentally block out the way he touched her.

The complaint states that when she canceled appointments, Roddan claimed he “wrote off $6,000 in bills for you.” She told the investigator that Roddan billed the VA for her treatments. Two days later, she received a bill for $3,000 and felt he was trying to double her bill and her insurer.

The second count involved a patient who said Roddan reached into her sports bra with both hands and felt knots in her muscles unraveling. She said he also pulled down her leggings and underwear to touch her groin area. One of their appointments lasted over three hours.

She reported Roddan in 2021 after speaking to her brother, who was a medic in the Army. However, she had initialed a medical record indicating that she had no concerns or adverse reactions to her treatment.

The victim in the third count worked for Roddan for two years. When she was training for her massage therapist license, he began teaching her the treatment he used on the military veteran. She says he also touched her breasts.

When the investigator met with Roddan, he said he had been in practice for 46 years and offered treatments that other chiropractors could not offer.

Roddan also said if a patient doesn't want treatment, he won't do it. When asked if he could touch his breasts or genitals for treatment, he replied, “Absolutely,” and said there was never a time when anyone asked him to stop.

He said: “The patient is always involved.” He said when patients leave, he asks them to sign a yes or no statement if they feel unwell or have any side effects.

Ashwaubenon's investigator spoke with other chiropractors who said they were not familiar with any treatment that involves placing hands close to a woman's genitals, not even with “old-school practices.”

Fourth-degree sexual assault is a misdemeanor punishable by fines and up to nine months in prison. Roddan is scheduled to make his first appearance in Brown County Court next Thursday, October 10th.

Copyright 2024 WBAY. All rights reserved.