A former substance-abuse counselor was sentenced this week in Lancaster County Court for having a woman on probation perform inappropriate “breathing exercises.”
Richard Christopher Corley was convicted in April of having the woman perform the exercises last year, as he watched via online streaming video, threatening to have her jailed if she didn’t comply.
On Wednesday, County Judge Donald Totaro ordered Corley serve 2 years of probation and undergo treatment.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Sarno told the judge he believed there was a “sexual component” to Corley’s demands of the 30-year-old woman.
Sarno asked that Corley undergo a sex-offender evaluation from the county’s probation department. Sarno said he based that on reports from several other women, after Corley’s conviction, that Corley had them perform similar exercises many years ago.
Judge Totaro said he wasn’t quite sure what Corley’s motive was, ordering that Corley have the sex-offender evaluation done. If Corley fails that evaluation, he can be placed under certain conditions for sex offenders.
The judge also ordered Corley, of Mount Joy, have mental-health and drug/alcohol assessments.
On April 12, a local jury convicted Corley of misdemeanor criminal coercion, following two days of testimony.
According to testimony, Corley told the woman the “breathing exercises” were part of a new study being conducted by Lancaster General Hospital. He told the woman the breathing would help release toxins from her body. She was told she could earn $5,000 for participating.
Police determined there was no such study being done.
Corley asked the woman to perform the exercises, via online video during night-time hours, demanding she go places with WiFi, so he could watch.
She eventually reported the requests to her probation officer, who then contacted District Attorney Craig Stedman’s office.
Lancaster County Detective Larry Martin filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright