A former Utah psychologist accused of “ritualistic sex abuse” involving children faces six new felony charges after a second adult victim came forward with testimony decades after the alleged assaults occurred.
On Oct. 17, David Lee Hamblin, 68, pleaded not guilty in a district court in Sanpete County, Utah, to six additional counts of aggravated child sex abuse stemming from an investigation by members of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office’s (UCSO) special victims unit.
Detectives arrested Hamblin in late September on seven other child sexual abuse-related charges from a separate case.
Those charges include first-degree felony rape of a child, aggravated abuse of a child, and lewdness involving a child.
Since his arrest, Hamblin has remained incarcerated without bail in the Utah County jail.
Authorities refuted earlier claims that the alleged incidents involved satanic ritual abuse reminiscent of the “Satanic Panic” that swept across Utah in the 1980s.
“This investigation is about child sex abuse and child sex trafficking. Now, we have two cases we’ve been able to move forward on. You never know where it’s going to lead you,” said Sgt. Spencer Cannon, the sheriff’s office public information officer.
Cannon said that more than 150 people have contacted the department with information after a press release went out on May 31 announcing the investigation that began in early 2021.
Cannon said Hamblin’s name came up as investigators pursued leads with the help of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
“It was during that investigation that his name came up. He’s on our radar now,” he said.
One victim, a woman now in her 40s, told detectives she was 6 or 7 years old when Hamblin allegedly began molesting her in the mid-1980s.
“The victim’s family resided in the same neighborhood as David [Hamblin],” according to Hamblin’s booking statement in September.
“The victim stated she would regularly play with David’s children and had been babysat [sic] on a number of occasions by David.”
A second witness was 4 or 5 years old when the alleged assaults occurred during “therapy sessions” at Hamblin’s home in Spring City in the early 1990s.
Those allegations led to six additional felony charges against Hamblin.
“The victim also described that Hamblin administered religious blessings during some of the therapy sessions,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Investigators said the victim tried to alert authorities but wasn’t taken seriously given Hamblin’s “standing” in the community as a therapist and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
After multiple alleged incidents of sexual abuse “under the guise of therapy sessions, the victim was no longer required to attend those sessions,” the sheriff’s office said.
The victim expressed fear that Hamblin would “cause the victim injury” should the abuse come to light.
“Investigators have corroborated this victim’s statements with other witnesses.”
Cannon said of the people who contacted the department many were victims, witnesses, or people who knew of victims.
“Not all the cases are focused on Mr. Hamblin,” Cannon told The Epoch Times.
Given the lack of physical evidence, these cases are challenging to prosecute years after they occurred, but “we'll keep following up” with new information,” he said.
“I know [other] cases that are further along. I would anticipate more charges coming, but exactly when, I don’t know.”
As a licensed therapist in Provo, Hamblin faced charges that he sexually abused a male patient in 2012. However, the Utah County Attorney’s Office dropped those charges, and Hamblin had his therapy license revoked in Utah.
“Through this investigation, it has been reported that [Hamblin] continues to perform ’therapy‘ under the guise of ’healing circles’ and upon information and belief, the abuse may be ongoing,” the sheriff’s office said regarding Hamblin’s arrest in September.
“David Hamblin is a threat to the children and citizens of Utah County,” he alleged.
There is no statute of limitation for sexual abuse cases in Utah.
