11 More Sex Abuse Reports Follow Practitioner’s Arrest

Authorities are expanding their investigation into the practices of self-proclaimed holistic healer Salvatore Anthony D’Onofrio, saying at least 11 more women have reported that he engaged in sexual misconduct.

But an attorney for D’Onofrio said Tuesday that his client is the victim of misguided investigators who do not understand or appreciate alternative medical techniques.

D’Onofrio, 52, was charged this week with sexual misconduct involving two women who sought his services at his Laguna Beach home. He remains in custody at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana.

D’Onofrio said in a jailhouse interview Saturday that he was properly practicing an alternative technique he learned from an Austrian doctor. The technique involves using oxygen tubes to activate patients’ immune systems and cure vaginal infections.

He said he is a “doctor of nutripathy,” which he described as an alternative form of treatment focusing on improved nutrition and enhancement of the immune system.

On Monday, prosecutors sought and won approval from a judge to increase D’Onofrio’s bail from $150,000 to $500,000 based on the contention that more charges are coming. He now faces eight counts that he improperly penetrated two women for the purpose of sexual gratification, and one count of practicing medicine without a license. The charges carry a penalty of up to 23 years in prison.

The case is being investigated by Laguna Beach police, with the help of the Medical Board of California, and is being prosecuted by the sexual assault unit of the Orange County district attorney’s office.

In the wake of last week’s news reports about D’Onofrio’s arrest, 11 more women contacted police detectives claiming that D’Onofrio engaged in sexual misconduct with them, said Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Bob Rahaeuser.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Roseanne Froeberg, who is prosecuting the case, said she heard there were more complaints, but acknowledged that the cases have yet to be fully investigated.

D’Onofrio’s attorney, Charles F. Benninghoff, said Tuesday that his client’s techniques have been misunderstood by proponents of mainstream medicine, and that D’Onofrio will be cleared once all the facts are known.

“You can’t put somebody in jail for practicing alternative medicine,” he said.

Both Benninghoff and D’Onofrio say the practitioner never claimed to be a medical doctor.