THERAPIST CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
MADISON - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that a Waukesha County therapist will appear in Sheboygan County Circuit Court on Monday, January 5 at 3:30 p.m. to face eight counts of felony Sexual Exploitation by a Therapist.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice's criminal complaint, John R. Monacelli, 45, W177N8570 Lynwood Drive, Menomonee Falls, was employed as a therapist at Genesis Behavioral Services, Inc., Sheboygan, a drug rehabilitation facility. In October 2007, Monacelli began individual counseling sessions with a male resident. In the course of the sessions the resident revealed he had been sexually abused as a child. Monacelli advised the resident that "the only way to get rid of the past is to relive it and realize that it was not that bad." Monacelli had the resident perform oral sex on him on at least three occasions.
Also in October 2007, Monacelli started individual counseling sessions with a female resident. During these sessions, Monacelli would ask the resident to describe her past sexual encounters. Shortly thereafter, Monacelli kissed the resident and fondled her breasts. During one session, Monacelli exposed his penis and took the resident's hand and placed in on his penis at which time the resident began to stroke Monacelli's penis. At another session, Monacelli had sexual intercourse with the resident.
Other counselors at the facility began to notice the amount of time Monacelli was spending with the female resident and began to suspect he was fixated or obsessed with her. In November 2007, Genesis started an internal investigation of Monacelli's questionable behavior.
If convicted, Monacelli faces up to 100 years imprisonment and $200,000 in fines.
The case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Storm.
