Fort Worth hypnotist accused of sexual assault is back in jail after new allegations
A Fort Worth hypnotist who bonded out of jail after an arrest on a sexual assault charge in September last year was back in jail Thursday after an arrest on two counts of indecent assault.
Bond has been withheld for Phillip Max Lamb, 69, on the sexual assault charge, according to records filed with the Tarrant County District Clerk’s Office. Bond has been set at $2,500 on each of the two indecent assault charges, Tarrant County Jail records show.
Lamb, a hypnotist who boasts on his website that he has more than 30 years of experience, was indicted in the sexual assault case on Dec. 19, 2019, court records show.
The indecent assault allegations were reported on Sept. 7 of this year and Lamb was arrested Wednesday, according to authorities. The Star-Telegram typically does not publish the names of sexual assault victims.
Police are not releasing any details concerning the recent indecent assault charges. Lamb’s attorney, Kathy Ehmann-Clardy, declined to comment concerning the new charges, except to say that her client says he is innocent and that he will fight all of these allegations vigorously.
The state of Texas, along with several other states, does not regulate or license the practice of hypnotism, according to Darrel Spinks, executive director for the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
Last year a woman told police officers that Lamb sexually assaulted her for three days after she came to him for therapeutic care.
Lamp operates Evolve Hypnosis located at 801 W. Shaw St. in Fort Worth, according to a website replete with testimonials praising his work.
According to a probable cause arrest warrant affidavit from 2019, a woman diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder sought out Lamb because she reacted poorly to drugs that were prescribed to her for treatment. The woman’s father accompanied her during her first few visits, until Lamb insisted that she come to his house alone so she could use his vibrating table, which he said would release her negative feelings.
On June 3, the woman drove to Lamb’s house and he offered her an alcoholic beverage to calm her, the affidavit said. This struck the woman as odd, since she was a recovering alcoholic and faced risks involved with drinking. Lamb told her to have a drink and relax before getting on the vibrating table.
The woman poured her own drink and Lamb told her to change clothes upstairs and led her to his bedroom, the affidavit said. Lamb then led her downstairs to the pool outdoors.
“The suspect instructed the victim to enter the pool and began to hold her above water as the victim floated on her back,” the affidavit said. “The suspect told the victim that she was an angel and that he was the embodiment of Christ. The victim then observed the suspect’s eyes turn completely black and she did not know if she was hallucinating or if the suspect spiked her drink.”
Lamb told the woman that he needed to release her bad energy by performing various sexual acts with her, the affidavit said.
Moments before, Lamb told the victim that she was not his first and would not be his last, she said. The woman told the detective that she did not know what Lamb was talking about at first but later said she believed he was speaking about being able to manipulate his clients into submitting to him, the affidavit stated.
The woman reported being fearful and confused, and told the detective as the hours passed Lamb became more aggressive. Lamb told the woman that she was an angel and would then describe the woman’s body parts in vulgar terms while telling her how sexually tempting she was, she said. The woman said she was terrified to say no to Lamb because she did not want him to hurt her emotionally or physically.
“The victim felt as if the suspect was predatorial and continued to whisper in the victim’s ear, ‘I’m going to keep you,’” the affidavit said. ‘“We can keep doing this, just don’t tell anyone my name. Tell everyone that you are staying with a friend. Once I get my own place you can stay with me forever. You won’t have to pay for anything because I will keep you.’
The woman told her parents what happened once she left Lamb’s house and police were called, the affidavit said.
During an interview with police, Lamb said he had personal, physical, emotional, and sexual relationships with numerous clients after their “office sessions,” according to the affidavit.
Lamb described the vibrating table as a custom-built sound table that vibrated the water molecules inside a person’s body to help them to release bad energy. Lamb said he had consensual sex with the woman, according to the affidavit.
“We were basically two consenting adults,” Lamb said, according to the affidavit. “Agreed on and both parties participating equally. I didn’t force anything on her. I really had sweet emotions for her. I tried to do my best to take care of her.”
