Ventura County Chiropractor Sentenced for Sexual Battery Against Patients

An Oxnard man who ran a Ventura chiropractic clinic has been sentenced to six years in state prison for sexually battering female patients who came to him seeking relief from pain, culminating a case that began when two patients reported the abuse to police and grew as additional victims came forward.

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the sentence against Fernando Juarez Gomez Jr., 45, of Oxnard, according to Vida Newspaper. A jury convicted Gomez on June 24, 2026, of five felony counts of sexual battery involving four different female victims. In addition to the jury's verdict, Gomez pleaded guilty to a single count of battery involving a fifth victim.

The sentence brings to a close a case that stretched back to offenses committed between 2022 and 2024 at Limitless Functional Therapy, the Ventura clinic Gomez owned and operated before its closure.

A Betrayal of Trust

The court found true an aggravating factor in the case: that Gomez took advantage of a position of trust while committing the crimes. That finding carries particular weight in cases involving health care providers, where patients routinely place themselves in physically vulnerable positions and rely on a practitioner's professional expertise to define what constitutes legitimate treatment.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Twyla Atmore, a prosecutor with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Sexual Assault Unit, handled the case. In a statement following the sentencing, Atmore described how Gomez framed his conduct to his patients.

"The defendant told these young women that his methods would eliminate their pain and help them achieve their athletic goals," Atmore said, according to Vida Newspaper. "Instead, he touched the most intimate parts of their bodies for his own sexual gratification under the guise of therapeutic treatment. The jury's verdict and today's sentence send a clear message that his behavior was unacceptable."

The prosecutor's comments highlight a disturbing pattern that prosecutors say defined the case: victims, many of them seeking care for sports-related or chronic pain, were told the treatments were therapeutic when in fact the touching served no legitimate chiropractic purpose. Authorities said Gomez inappropriately touched female patients in areas unrelated to legitimate treatment.

How the Case Unfolded

The investigation began after two patients independently reported being sexually battered during chiropractic appointments, according to the District Attorney's Office. Detectives with the Ventura Police Department arrested Gomez on March 21, 2024, at his Ventura business.

Following news of the arrest, additional victims came forward with allegations similar to those that sparked the initial investigation. The charges ultimately presented to the jury involved four victims, with a fifth victim accounted for in the battery charge to which Gomez pleaded guilty.

The case then proceeded through the Ventura County Superior Court system, culminating in the June 2026 jury trial and the recent sentencing. The six-year state prison term reflects both the multiple felony convictions and the court's finding that Gomez abused a position of trust.

Why This Matters for Oxnard Residents

While the crimes occurred at Gomez's Ventura clinic, the defendant is an Oxnard resident, and the case carries resonance for residents across the 805 region who use chiropractic and other hands-on health services.

Chiropractic care, massage therapy, physical therapy, and similar treatments require an unusual degree of physical trust between patient and provider. Cases like this one raise recurring questions about how patients can protect themselves: understanding what a treatment plan involves before it begins, asking questions when a technique feels unrelated to the stated complaint, and knowing that unwanted or inappropriate touching during care can be reported both to law enforcement and to state licensing boards.

The case also illustrates how reports from early victims can unlock a broader pattern. Two patients came forward first. Only after Gomez's March 2024 arrest did additional victims feel able to report what had happened to them — a dynamic that victim advocates and law enforcement agencies say is common in cases involving trusted professionals.

What Comes Next

Gomez will serve his six-year sentence in state prison. Limitless Functional Therapy, the clinic he owned in Ventura, is now closed. Patients with unresolved concerns or records tied to the clinic may still have avenues for civil claims or complaints through state licensing authorities, though any license-related actions are handled separately from the criminal case.

For victims of sexual assault or abuse in Ventura County, resources are available through the District Attorney's Office and local advocacy organizations. The DA's Sexual Assault Unit, which prosecuted this case, handles crimes of this nature countywide, including in Oxnard.

Anyone who wishes to report a crime can contact the Ventura Police Department or, for incidents elsewhere in the county, their local law enforcement agency. Victim assistance information is also available through the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

The sentencing closes the criminal chapter of a case that prosecutors say should serve as a warning to anyone who would exploit professional trust. As Atmore put it, the verdict and the sentence together "send a clear message" that such conduct against patients will not be tolerated in Ventura County.

This article is based on reporting by [Vida Newspaper](https://vidanewspaper.com/2026/08/20/chiropractor-sentenced-for-battery/) and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.