FARMINGTON, Utah — A therapist based in Davis County has been charged with abusing a "vulnerable" woman over a span of several years "under the guise of providing her therapy."
Maurice Wade Harker, 54, was charged Tuesday with aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult and kidnapping — both second-degree felonies.
According to the charging documents, Harker repeatedly abused a client of his between 2012 and 2021. The woman suffered serious injuries throughout this time, and she said she even thought she might die during one of the sessions.
The woman said Harker used aggressive, hands-on and even violent tactics, claiming he had to do so because she was possessed by a demon. The victim had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses. She had been abused as a child, court documents stated, and Harker "preyed upon her vulnerabilities."
Prosecutors say Harker's repeated assaults resulted in multiple physical injuries. These included a broken thumb, a knee injury, black eyes from being elbowed by Harker, and neck injuries. She said he would even pin her down and cover her mouth and nose, claiming this would help get rid of her "demon."
Charging documents also state that Harker also manipulated the victim in non-physical ways. He allegedly tried to isolate her from other people and relationships, created a profile for her on a dating app that he operated on her behalf, followed her, and tracked her location with a "Tile" chip.
As of Tuesday night, a warrant for his arrest had been proposed in the court system, but it did not immediately appear that he had been arrested.
Harker was the subject of a report by Rolling Stone in October 2022, in which a former client came forward with allegations of abuse. The woman's account matched what has now been detailed by prosecutors in the new charging documents.
The Rolling Stone article states that Harker is "fairly well-known in the [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community." In 2005, he founded Life Changing Services, a pornography addiction treatment group that appears to be based on LDS principles, but not directly sponsored or supported by the church. He did, however, work as a counselor with LDS Family Services for seven years before founding his own program, according to his bio on the "Sons of Helaman" website.
Harker's license to practice as a clinical mental health counselor expired at the end of September 2022, according to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing.
