On July 24, 2023, 31-year-old Joel Martens, a chiropractor who has worked with multiple student-athletes in Hartford, South Dakota, was arrested by the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office for s*xual crimes involving minors.
During a police briefing on July 25, 2023, Sergeant Zachary Cegelske announced the felony charges against Joel, which include one count of fourth-degree r*pe with a victim aged between 13 and 16 years and seven counts of s*xual contact with a victim younger than 18 by a person of authority.
KELO reported that Sergeant Cegelske mentioned that the investigation, which remains ongoing, found enough cause to apprehend Joel Martens.
Joel Martens exploited his victim for eight months
Dakota News Now reported that on July 22, 2023, a Minnehaha County deputy responded to a residence in Humboldt for a late report of a s*x offense involving a 17-year-old who informed authorities that she had been r*ped for the last eight months by a chiropractor, whom she recognized as Joel Martens.
Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that a workout in May 2021 at Lemke’s Fitness and Training in Hartford, where Joel coached, marked the first instance of inappropriate sexual contact.
According to the report by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, in October 2021, when the victim sought treatment for an ACL injury, Joel started texting her, asking about her family and boyfriend.
KSLA reported that the victim informed them that Joel started to plan her chiropractor appointments, specifically at slots when his administrative assistant was not present.
As per the report by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Joel asked the victim not to reveal his actions to anyone and destroy his life and career, justifying them as beneficial for the victim’s rehab and recovery from her injuries.
The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that according to the victim, between the end of April 2022 and the end of February 2023, she and Joel had inappropriate contact approximately 100 times, and no chiropractic work was performed at the later appointments.
Charges updated against Joel Martens
Dakota News Now reported that a spokesperson with ChiroSport acknowledged the actions of their accused employee and said,
“We have been recently informed of the charges against Dr. Joel Martens. We have a zero tolerance policy and do not condone these types of behaviors. We have been lucky to serve the Hartford community and are heartbroken to hear of these allegations. We look forward to continuing to serve the Hartford area in the future. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim, their families, and all parties affected. We will have no further comment until more information is released.”
As per the report by Dakota News Now, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office announced that the charges against Joel have been amended.
According to the amended complaint submitted by the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office to the Minnehaha County Court, Joel Martens faces seven counts of s*xual contact with a child under 18 by a person of authority, one count of possession of child p*rnography, one count of possession of child p*rnography and one count of s*xual exploitation of a minor.
Dakota News Now reported that the amended affidavit has the felony charge of one count of fourth-degree r*pe withdrawn.
The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that preliminary hearings have been slated for August 8, 2023, and September 8, 2023, and Joel Martens’ bond has been set at $250,025.
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