Police received sex assault allegations against a Utah hypnotherapist for almost 20 years. Why did an arrest take so long?

Hypnotherapy’s regulatory “gray area” made it difficult for Salt Lake City police to determine whether the reported touching at Sugar House Hypnotherapy was consensual contact or a crime, officials said.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) William Draney appears in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. Draney is a hypnotherapist who is facing 20 felonies for allegedly sexually abusing clients under the guise of therapeutic treatment.