Chiropractor gets 2 months for inappropriate relationship with young girl
WEST RICHLAND, Wash. -- A local chiropractor accused of carrying on an inappropriate relationship with a 12-year-old girl will spend two months behind bars, a judge ruled on Wednesday.
In May Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
According to court documents, Sullivan "was, in essence, grooming (her) to participate in a sexual relationship with him."
Investigators said the doctor used motocross to prey on the child by taking her to a track, then taking her home to a hot tub.
The child said she was kissed once, and then kissed again a week later while her sister was there. The child reported she was assaulted in Sullivan's truck while her sister took the wheel, the documents state.
In court on Wednesday, the chiropractor expressed regret for his actions.
"I made a decision as a sophomore in high school to become a better person," Sullivan said. "I spent 31 years creating a lifestyle for my family. And we had a phenomenal lifestyle, or had. It's all been taken away."
Sullivan, a father of three, will undergo sex offender treatment and will have to register as a sex offender. His medical license has been suspended by the state Department of Health, which has launched its own investigation.
"But I will be back," Sullivan said. "People will love me again. It's been hard. It's been long. I apologize to these people and I apologize to my family and to my wife and I hurt deeply for the folks who we're speaking of today."
Sullivan was initially charged with rape of a child in the second degree, but was convicted of a lesser charge as a result of a plea agreement.
Prosecutors said neither the victim or her family were present for the sentencing.
In May Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
According to court documents, Sullivan "was, in essence, grooming (her) to participate in a sexual relationship with him."
Investigators said the doctor used motocross to prey on the child by taking her to a track, then taking her home to a hot tub.
The child said she was kissed once, and then kissed again a week later while her sister was there. The child reported she was assaulted in Sullivan's truck while her sister took the wheel, the documents state.
In court on Wednesday, the chiropractor expressed regret for his actions.
"I made a decision as a sophomore in high school to become a better person," Sullivan said. "I spent 31 years creating a lifestyle for my family. And we had a phenomenal lifestyle, or had. It's all been taken away."
Sullivan, a father of three, will undergo sex offender treatment and will have to register as a sex offender. His medical license has been suspended by the state Department of Health, which has launched its own investigation.
"But I will be back," Sullivan said. "People will love me again. It's been hard. It's been long. I apologize to these people and I apologize to my family and to my wife and I hurt deeply for the folks who we're speaking of today."
Sullivan was initially charged with rape of a child in the second degree, but was convicted of a lesser charge as a result of a plea agreement.
Prosecutors said neither the victim or her family were present for the sentencing.