Witnesses' testimony backs American Fork chiropractor

AMERICAN FORK — More than a half-dozen defense witnesses took the stand Thursday, testifying about their interactions with Grant Hildreth and how they didn't believe he could merit allegations of sexual abuse from his chiropractic patients.

Hildreth, 45, an American Fork chiropractor, was arrested in June after his secretary and patient went to police with concerns that his treatments to her were becoming sexual.

However, Mark Gamblin, a friend and potential business partner of Hildreth, testified that he was shocked with the news of Hildreth's arrest when he heard it on the radio.

"My daughter has been his patient, I can't imagine anyone making that accusation," he said. He then called Hildreth, who told him the allegation was from his secretary, who had just quit.

Gamblin said his mind went back to a conversation several weeks ago between him and Hildreth in the Alpha Life Chiropractic office at 8 E. Main in American Fork.

The two men wanted to expand the chiropractic business to include more emphasis on a decompression table for alleviating back pain, and Gamblin was explaining that in other offices he had investigated, the receptionists had been more friendly and inviting.

"I said, 'I'm sorry, your receptionist doesn't make me feel (welcome, important),"' Gamblin said, quoting his conversation with Hildreth. "She doesn't even look up and say hi to me when I walk into the office."

As he was talking, Gamblin realized the door was open and that his loud voice probably carried out to to the receptionist at her nearby desk. He then shut the door.

It was that conversation that he said flashed back to his mind when he heard about the allegations.

"And you thought there was a connection there?" prosecutor Alex Ludlow asked.

"(I thought), 'Oh, my gosh,' yeah, I thought there was a connection there," Gamblin replied.

Melissa Beardall, a licensed massage therapist, testified that she had worked for Hildreth for just about two weeks before the allegations surfaced and the clinic shut down.

She testified that she would frequently give full-body massages to clients, during which it would be possible to brush up against private areas of the body — what one of the patients alleged happened on a repeated basis during a full-body massage.

But Hildreth's daughter, Shannon, took a break from college in Montana to testify about being in the room when that alleged assault took place.