Crime Watch on local news 06/01/2024

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
By SAM KLOMHAUS Sam.Klomhaus@gjsentinel.com
May 31, 2024 Updated Jun 1, 2024

A former chiropractor who was accused of filming clients while changing without their consent was sentenced to 3½ years in the Department of Corrections Friday.

Todd Mitchell, 56, was arrested in August, 2023 after a client he was seeing found a disguised camera in a room in which she had changed into a hospital gown for Mitchell to work on her.

That victim confronted Mitchell, who took out the camera’s sim card and snapped it, according to Friday’s hearing.

“I felt violated, scared, and so disgusted,” said the victim who discovered the camera.

The prosecution played a video of the victim confronting Mitchell, which the victim had taken on her cell phone. Mitchell can be heard repeatedly apologizing in the video.

According to Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Savage, police believe Mitchell destroyed more devices before he was arrested. However, police found about 2,000 images that appear to be stills from videos on one of his devices, 93 of which showed a face and eight of which were able to be identified.

Some of those victims also spoke at Friday’s hearing.

“It feels as if Todd has stripped us of our independence,” one victim said.

“Little did we know he was sexualizing us and using us for his own pleasure. How disgusting.”

Victims spoke about having trouble undressing for medical procedures, and Mitchell taking advantage of the victims, who were largely teenage girls participating in sports.

“We believed he was touching our bodies with good intentions. We gave him access to our vulnerabilities. I wish I had never done that,” one victim said.

Mitchell read a statement to the court apologizing for his actions and admitting he filmed women changing into gowns and destroyed memory cards to hide the evidence.

“I’ve not only betrayed these women and their families, I’ve also betrayed my own family, my practice, my colleagues, my friends in the community,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said he would accept whatever treatment that will make sure this never happens again.

“All of this I deserve because of my vile actions and utter lack of self control,” he said.

Judge Brian Flynn accepted the plea agreement in the case, which saw Mitchell plead guilty to tampering with evidence and invasion of privacy, both felonies. He also pleaded guilty to a number of misdemeanors.

Mitchell’s attorney asked the court not to sentence Mitchell to prison, as it will be more difficult for Mitchell to get treatment there.

The prosecution asked Flynn to consider a long period of sex offender intensive supervised probation, up to 20 years.

Flynn said the severity of the case necessitated a prison sentence for Mitchell, and sentenced him to 18 months in the Department of Corrections for tampering with evidence, and two years in the Department of Corrections for invasion of privacy, to be served consecutively. Each sentence will be followed by a year of supervised probation.

Mitchell will also have to register as a sex offender, Flynn said.

Flynn said he was struck by the ages of the victims in the case, who were teenagers at the time. He also said he believes Mitchell has the ability to rehabilitate himself, especially because Mitchell does not have a prior criminal record.

If someone else in the medical field is thinking of committing a similar crime, Flynn said, they better think about going to prison.

“When we go to a doctor, or we get other medical help, there are times when we’re all very vulnerable, quite frankly, and if there are parts of you body you’re not comfortable people seeing, we all have to have a lot of trust in that,” Flynn said.