Therapist in Albuquerque faces child sex charges

By Nick Catlin

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — A therapist faces several felony charges for allegedly touching one of his patients sexually.

Albuquerque police started to investigate therapist Krishna Vemulapalli, 33, of Albuquerque, after a report of him sexually touching a youth patient.

A detective with the sex crimes unit for the Albuquerque Police Department spoke to the patient regarding the sexual touching. The investigation was launched on Tuesday, April 2.

The victim told police she had seen Vemulapalli as her therapist for four years. She told the Albuquerque detective her overall well-being did improve throughout her weekly sessions.

However, she also said Vemulapalli started to become physically attentive to her along with sitting beside her on a couch, rather than facing the patient.

This led to touching of her leg and thigh, along with touching her buttocks, according to court documents. The victim also told police he asked about her sexual history and if she was sexually active.

This led to a therapy session this year, when Vemulapalli asked to touch her breast, which the victim denied. Court records show she told police he touched it anyway, along with placing his hands on the victim’s neck.

The neck-grabbing happened on several actions, and the victim said she lost the ability to breathe during one instance. The victim did not tell any friends or family when the alleged sexual contact took place.

However, it changed when she was attending a school health class and sexual assault and harassment were being taught. That prompted her to understand she was a sexual assault victim.

The victim attended her last therapy session with Vemulapalli using a voice recording application on her smartwatch. The two talked about the alleged sexual touching, and he apologized for his behavior, according to court documents.

The Albuquerque detective later spoke to the patient’s mother. She told police that Vemulapalli offered money or free sessions, so the victim did not contact law enforcement.

Vemulapalli is charged with three felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a bribery charge.

It was ruled Vemulapalli will be released before his trial on Monday, May 13. He is still in custody awaiting a GPS monitor.

One of the conditions of release for Vemulapalli is he cannot make contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Vemulapalli also cannot do therapy sessions with minors unless the court is notified. If one is set, the court must hold a hearing.

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