Former University of Iowa therapist facing sexual exploitation charges for inappropriate patient relationship

A former University of Iowa therapist is facing additional allegations that he acted improperly as a mental health professional, which led to his dismissal from the school.

James Burkhalter, 44 of Coralville, was charged with two counts of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist on May 2. He was initially arrested in July 2023 on nine counts of sexual exploitation. Court documents related to the most recent charges say that Burkhalter allegedly placed his hand "on the clothed breast" of a patient on two separate occasions in July and November 2022.

Those alleged acts took place at an address on Kirkwood Avenue in Iowa City.

Burkhalter posted his $10,000 bond after the newest charges were filed on Thursday, May 9.

The nine other counts of sexual exploitation are for Burkhalter's alleged involvement in "sex acts" with a patient during scheduled appointments.

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Defendant allegedly engaged in sex acts while employed at UI

A police detective informed the court that a former patient of Burkhalter’s at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics claimed to have had sex with Burkhalter while he was still her therapist.

According to police, much of the alleged inappropriate sexual activity took place in the late morning at Burkhalter's on-campus UIHC office from 2019 through 2022 in which the victim said they had sex during roughly 80 percent of their appointments.

On one occasion, Burkhalter allegedly arranged for the patient to pick him up from his home sometime after 9:30 p.m. and returned to their residence to engage in sex acts.

Criminal complaints in the initial criminal case against Burkhalter point to Iowa Code 702.17 which defines "sex act(s)."

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Doctor denies allegations, briefly retains job

Burkhalter was not immediately fired by the University of Iowa after denying the patient's allegations. He attempted to contact the patient again in April 2022, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch, despite the hospital directing him to avoid all contact with the victim.

He was fired in May 2022, though no charges had been filed at the time.

A warrant application also said that police discovered text messages sent by Berkhalter to the patient, revealing that Berkhalter used sexually explicit language to encourage the patient to engage in sex with him, among other explicit conversations.

Initial criminal charges were filed in the Johnson County court system on July 25, 2023.

A late April 2024 court filing indicated that a plea offer may have been made in this case, though "negotiations" and the "investigation" remain ongoing. A case management conference is currently scheduled for June 24.

If convicted, Burkhalter could face 45 years in prison and significant fines on the nine sexual exploitation charges.

His license was "indefinitely suspended" by the Iowa Board of Social Work in February 2023, less than a year after being fired by the University of Iowa.

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Clark Kauffman of Iowa Capital Dispatch contributed reporting.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Former University of Iowa therapist charged with sexual exploitation