Chiropractor Who Coached Student Athletes Accused of Raping Teen

A South Dakota chiropractor is facing multiple charges, accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old patient "more than 100 times," according to court documents and the local sheriff's office.

Joel Martens, 31, was arrested and charged with seven counts of sexual contact with a child younger than 18, two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) said in an emailed statement to Newsweek on Thursday.

MCSO Sergeant Zachary Cegelske said in the email to Newsweek that an "incorrect date written in the initial Sheriff's Office report" had indicated the victim was 15 years of age during the first sexual contact when she was actually 16-years-old.

Martens was working as a chiropractor at a ChiroSport clinic in Hartford, South Dakota, where he treated many student-athletes, Cegelske said to Newsweek. Martens also helped coach the West Central High School track and field team, and that's how he met the 15-year-old girl in 2021, according to court documents obtained by local news outlet KELO.

The rape investigation began on Saturday, when the now-17-year-old victim told an MCSO deputy that she had been repeatedly raped by Martens over an eight-month span, according to the affidavit.

Martens was taken into custody on Monday evening, according to the sheriff's office. He appeared in court on Tuesday, where the judge set his bond at $250,000 cash only. If he's released, he can have no contact with anyone under the age of 18, KELO reports.

As of Wednesday, Martens was not listed among the ChiroSport staff on its website.

A spokesperson with ChiroSport, a chiropractic, massage and rehabilitation clinic with several locations in South Dakota, said in a statement obtained by Newsweek that the company has "been recently informed of the charges against Dr. Joel Martens. We have a zero-tolerance policy and do not condone these types of behaviors."

ChiroSport spokesperson Jamie Heeren saidthat the company is "heartbroken to hear of these allegations," in an email to Newsweek on Thursday.

"We look forward to continuing to serve the Hartford area in the future," Heeren said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim, their families, and all parties affected."

Heeren said the clinic has no further comment "until more information is released."

The first incident, according to court documents, occurred in May 2021, when the girl was 15. Martens, who was helping coach her in track and field, sexually assaulted her during a workout at a local gym, authorities said. She told investigators that she was too shocked to report it at the time, the affidavit states.

The girl told investigators that several months after that encounter, Martens began texting her, Dakota News Now reports.

In March 2022, the teen was under Martens' care at the ChiroSport clinic in Hartford when the chiropractor assaulted her, at age 16, over five appointments, court documents say.

The teen told authorities that Martens would often schedule her appointments for times when his administrative assistant would be out, leaving the two of them alone, according to court documents.

Martens and the victim exchanged "personal" text messages, authorities said, adding that the chiropractor urged the girl not to tell anyone.

The girl told investigators that she estimates they had sex more than 100 times during appointments and twice at his home when his wife was out, according to the affidavit.

Since Martens worked closely with minors, MSCO is asking anyone with information about him to come forward.

Update 07/29/23, 11:35 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment and information from the MSCO and ChiroSport spokesperson Jamie Heeren.