McKinney Chiropractor Convicted of Several Sex Charges in Sex Assault Trial

Dr. David Russell convicted of charges related to four victims

A McKinney chiropractor accused of sexually assaulting several of his patients has been found guilty of charges involving four victims.

The Collin County jury convicted Dr. David Russell of sexual assault, sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child.

Russell was found guilty of sexual assault of a child and indecency with the same child. He was also convicted of another indecency charge related to another child and two sexual assaults of adults.

He was found not guilty on the other charges.

Russell faced up to 12 counts of sexual misconduct related to five female patients, four of them teenagers.

Aggravated sexual assault of a child was the most serious charge, but the jury could consider a charge of indecency with a child by contact if there was not sufficient evidence to support the other charge.

The judge last week tossed out one count of indecency with a child because of insufficient evidence.

The jury began deliberating Tuesday at about 8:30 a.m. and finished at about 11:20 p.m. During their deliberation, the jurors came back and asked a couple of questions related to victim testimony, NBC 5's Randy McIlwain reported Tuesday afternoon.

Jurors were told to come back Wednesday morning for sentencing.

After the verdicts were announced, members of Russell's family appeared visibly shaken, NBC 5's Ray Villeda reported. Sobs from victims seated on the other side of the courtroom could be heard.

During closing arguments, prosecutors argued that the patients' stories are too detailed and similar to simply be made up.

One victim testified that Russell had touched her breasts and commented on her underwear during a treatment session. During another session, he inappropriately touched her private parts, putting a finger inside her vagina, she said.

Another victim shared a similar story.

Also Monday morning, the prosecution introduced three rebuttal witnesses, all adult women who said Russell made inappropriate advances toward them while they were patients in his care.

No charges were filed in those cases because the statute of limitations had expired before they came forward.

Russell and his defense team have denied much of the testimony, adding that it is possible for a chiropractor's hand to make accidental, brushing contact to the area the women described when treating a groin injury.

During closing arguments, the defense said McKinney police made Russell "public enemy No. 1" when he was arrested.

Defense attorney Todd Shapiro said a floodgate of accusers opened up when his client was arrested and his mug shot was released. Shapiro said there is no direct evidence that Russell did anything wrong, saying that only one witness to any alleged misconduct testified during the trial.

Russell did not testify in his own defense.

NBC 5's Catherine Ross, Randy McIlwain and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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