A Woodward man will enter a plea Friday in Dallas County District Court to charges he sexually abused a client while working as a counselor or therapist at the Hope Wellness Center in Woodward.
According to affidavits filed May 30 by the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, Joseph William Austin, 36, worked as a supported community living residential coordinator at Hope Wellness from July to October 2016. The alleged crimes occurred between July 1, 2016 and Sept. 2, 2016.
Part of Austin’s duties “were to monitor all clients and meet with them at least on a weekly basis to assist them in achieving their goals and also to provide behavior support to those having difficulty so that they can maintain appropriate social interaction with others,” according to the affidavits.
Austin “started a consensual relationship” with an adult female client at the facility, the complaints allege. The relations “included flirting, inappropriate conversations about sexual activity and sending and receiving inappropriate texts and naked pictures via text message.”
The complaints say the victim alleged “three instances” when the “relationship turned physically sexual in nature.”
Austin had an initial appearance May 30 before Dallas County Magistrate Leslie M. Clemenson. Bond was set at $7,500.
Austin was charged were one count of felony sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist and three counts of aggravated misdemeanor sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist.
A felony conviction of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, and an aggravated misdemeanor convictions carries up to one year prison term.
The Hope Wellness Center opened in August 2015 and is operated by Genesis Development and largely financed by the Heart of Iowa Community Services region, of which Dallas County is the largest member. The center has two wings, one providing short-term crisis intervention, usually lasting seven to 10 days, and the other offering transitional support for three to six months.
ThePerryNews.com will update this story as information becomes available.
