Shopkeeper charged with aggravated and indecent assaults during ‘psychic surgery.’

The women said they went willingly into the Lititz businessman’s back room for a promise of “spiritual healing.’’

John E. Hainsworth waved a pendulum and herbs over their bodies, they said, and massaged their partially-clothed bodies with sweet-scented oil.

They had no problem with that, all three testified at a preliminary hearing on Friday.

It was only when Hainsworth touched them sexually, the women testified, and in some cases kissed and licked them, that they questioned his behavior and ultimately decided to call police.

“I felt stupid, ashamed and embarrassed,’’ one woman testified when asked about why she didn’t complain to Hainsworth at the time and only went to police after reading in the newspaper that he had been arrested.

Lititz police Detective John Schofield arrested Hainsworth, 51, of Wrightsville, earlier this month for aggravated and indecent assault for two of the alleged victims. Additional indecent assault charges for the third woman were filed Friday.

After listening to all three women testify on Friday, Magisterial District Judge David Miller ordered Hainsworth to stand trial on all charges. Bail was set at $60,000 and Hainsworth was returned to county prison.

Hainsworth and his wife, Julie, who sat quietly behind him during Friday’s court hearing, operate Wolf Mountain Trading Company, at the rear of 49 N. Broad St., Lititz.

The shop features Native American merchandise, plus candles, jewelry, knives, books and includes Castle Armory and Enchanted Cottage sections, a library and an Enlightenment Gallery.

The first woman testified that she stopped at Hainsworth’s shop on the afternoon of Jan. 9 to purchase a Llewellyn’s almanac that he had in stock. The woman said while she was looking at the books she began talking to Hainsworth about her marital problems.

“John said, ‘We do healings here and I’d like to try to help,’ ’’ the woman testified. “I was willing to try anything, any kind of ritual or spiritual cleansing to help.’’

She was led into a back room and laid down on a table while Hainsworth waved a pendulum over her, she testified, in an effort to determine where she had “built up walls, walls that had driven my husband away.’’

After performing “psychic surgery,’’ a process where he simulated removing “rocks’’ from her body and casting them to the floor, the woman agreed to a massage.

She did not object to him massaging her unclothed back or chest, the woman said, adding that at one point she was wishing it was her husband instead of Hainsworth performing the massage.

But when pinched her nipples and reached down her jeans and began touching her sexually, she said she became “very upset.”

“He was saying, ‘I’m sorry’ and offered me tea or coffee,’’ the woman said, describing how she hurriedly dressed, gathered her things and ran out of the store.

The second woman said she had gone to the store earlier in the day so her friend could have a “spiritual healing,’’ and returned for a procedure of her own around 4:45 p.m.

The woman said she had taken off her shirt, unsnapped her bra and jeans, so that Hainsworth could massage her back and buttocks with lavender oil, and then rolled over so he could do the same to her front.

Her eyes were closed, she said, but after a few minutes when she realized his hand was in her vaginal area, she looked up to see him sucking her nipples.

 The young woman said she told Hainsworth she had to leave, stopping to purchase a dagger with a credit card before she left the store. She later called the first woman, whom she knew through a weekly witches meeting.

The third woman said Hainsworth and his wife had been very kind to her in the past when their business was in Marietta, talking with her and massaging her shoulders.

In December, she looked up their store hours on a “witch’’ Web site, and went there “because I needed someone to talk to.’’

She agree to a healing, she said, and Hainsworth prepared the back room, lighting candles and turning on music, while she took off her shirt and bra and unfastened her pants.

He waved sage around the room and her body, she said, and they meditated together before he began massaging her with jasmine oil.

Hainsworth massaged her breasts, the woman said, then lowered her pants as he rubbed her hips and thighs. Then he leaned over and kissed her on the mouth, she said.

“I didn’t know if it was right or wasn’t. I felt like it was wrong, but I didn’t know any better…I just wanted to get it over with…I was afraid, scared that I was being stupid or I was being an idiot.’’

After a few minutes, the woman said Hainsworth told her she could get dressed. He sold her some tea and herbs for $2.50 and she left.

Defense attorney Farley Holt asked the woman if she said anything to Hainsworth during the massage, telling him she was uncomfortable. The woman replied that she did not.

“I felt stupid, ashamed and embarrassed,’’ the woman said.

Holt argued that the prosecutors had not proven enough evidence to substantiate the charges.

Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Franz argued that the women were clearly made uncomfortable by Hainsworth’s actions.

Miller, who was substituting for Magisterial Judge Daniel Garrett, agreed with the prosecutors.

Source: LancasterOnline

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 28th, 2007 at 4:51 pm and is filed under Alternative Health, Ethics, Legal Issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.