Local therapist accused of inappropriately touching teen patient
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – An adult entrusted with a child’s safety is now accused of violating it. That’s what police say happened inside a local therapist’s office.
That therapist is in jail Tuesday night, and police say a teenage girl helped put him there.
The teen had been going to this therapist since she was 11, but she told her parents and police he didn’t start touching her until last summer.
But earlier this year, her health class had a lesson about sexual assault and harassment, and that’s when she realized she was a victim. So, she recorded her next session on her Apple Watch and got her therapist to admit to touching her.
Police say 33-year-old licensed mental health clinician Krishna Vemulapalli can be heard on the recording saying:
“Yeah, you are young, but you are like developed, so your body is like a woman’s.”
“I will never do that again, OK? Like the touching, in any way. I won’t do that again unless you follow up with it.”
On the recording, he even asks her not to tell anyone, saying:
“If you were to tell, what would happen? Well most likely there’d be an investigation, I’d have to release all your therapy notes. So, just keep that in mind, OK?”
He then offered free sessions if she didn’t tell anyone he touched her.
Vemulapalli is in the Bernalillo County jail. He is facing multiple charges of sexual contact with a minor and bribery of a witness.
May is national Child Abuse Prevention Month and last week multiple Albuquerque leaders spoke at all Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center to highlight the work they do to help children feel safe and comfortable.
It’s a place they can share their stories of abuse that helped land child predators behind bars
“It takes dedication, leadership, like we see here today to work together and do everything we can. Everything we can to make sure that children and families are safe,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.
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