Published: Feb 28, 2005 MILFORD, Conn. (AP) - A British hypnotist charged with having sex with patients under his spell and secretly videotaping the encounters was sentenced Monday to 90 days in prison and faces possible deportation to England.
Posted on 02/28/2005 6:56:25 PM PST by TheOtherOne
British Hypnotist Gets 90-Day Prison Term in Connecticut Sex Case
Published: Feb 28, 2005 MILFORD, Conn. (AP) - A British hypnotist charged with having sex with patients under his spell and secretly videotaping the encounters was sentenced Monday to 90 days in prison and faces possible deportation to England.
Michael Johnstone, 64, had pleaded no contest to reckless endangerment and breach of peace. As part of a plea deal, he received three years in prison with all but 90 days suspended. He will not have to register as a sex offender or attend sex therapy.
"We're content with it," defense attorney Hugh Keefe said.
Authorities said Johnstone confessed to having sex and videotaping the trysts with a half-dozen patients who came to him for anxiety treatment. The incidents allegedly occurred between 2000 and 2003.
Prosecutor Kevin Lawlor said the deal avoids a trial and a drawn-out appeal on an uncertain legal issue. Johnstone was charged under a statute applying to psychotherapists; the charge has never been used on a hypnotist.
"The victims' feeling that they did not wish to proceed weighed heavily on us," he said.
Prosecutors said immigration officials are investigating and may detain Johnstone after his sentence.
AP-ES-02-28-05 2041EST
Hmm . . . I guess you could say he was a good hypnotist?
I've never been hypnotized, norr interested in it, but I've heard that you cannot really get hypnotized people to do anything they are not inclined to do anyway.
100% correct. It only works on very weak minded people that would've likely gone along with anything he said at all. How's what he did really any worse than someone paying for the lobster?
Guess that's why none of them are pressing charges. Seems a bit odd otherwise.
Sex, or sex with that guy?
did he cure their anxiety?
You are getting sleepy, you will not press charges for what I am about to film and do.
That's what i heard too. I also read somewhere that one can test one's trustworthiness by asking them to fall back and be caught by someone. The too trusting type would readily fall.
OK, now take off your clothes!
I bet he gave them a suggestion that they should moan and move around , and grab his buttocks while having sex also.
Well if youre going to do it why not do it right?
Hee hee. Sounds like a handy skill to have. And you'd always be in demand at parties.
I guess you could say the therapist was a trance-sexual.
Had a hypnotist at a party who got guests to do all sorts of things that people wouldn't be inclined to do ordinarily.
It did make for a fun party, but man, ladies be warned!
90 days for raping 6 people? And Martha Stewart got 5 months for lying?
I agree, can somebody explain why this was not rape. A rapist gets 90 days. What the hell?
Wonder if Bubba and Icepick will use hypnotism in prison?
You are correct. Hypnotism can be very beneficial when used properly, and it is perfectly safe. I used it daily in my practice.
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