Pittsburgh-area chiropractor pleads guilty to touching clients inappropriately
A chiropractor in Fayette County has pleaded guilty after he was accused of touching his clients inappropriately.
Dr. Jon Rumbaugh, 59, had been a practicing chiropractor for more than 30 years.
Rumbaugh and his attorney did not stop to answer questions when they were leaving the courtroom.
The charges he was facing include several counts of misdemeanor indecent assault and invasion of privacy, initially brought by two former patients, the first of whom came forward in 2021 and the second in 2023. Four people now, however, claim that Rumbaugh assaulted them.
According to police paperwork, the first victim sought Rumbaugh's help for a joint disorder, and while she was in the treatment room, Rumbaugh had her wear a medical gown, exposed her right breast, and massaged it with both his hands while she was on her back.
Police say that the second victim went to Rumbaugh for help with neck pain. Rumbaugh again asked this woman to wear a gown and said that her neck was in pain because of an air pocket near her chest area that needed treatment.
"I ask them if they're comfortable, and if they don't want to take their bra off, they don't. I just work around it. If they take their bra off, I do the areas that are accessible, and I'm not trying to make them feel uncomfortable," Rumbaugh told Pennsylvania State Police at the time of his arrest in 2023.
But despite his initial police statement, as of Tuesday, Rumbaugh has officially pleaded guilty.
Sentencing for Dr. Rumbaugh will be held on Aug. 7.
