The “Rehab Mogul,” who ran sober living homes in Colorado and California, was sentenced to 52 years in jail for molesting at least seven women and running a $175 million healthcare billing scheme. Bathum was found guilty of 31 counts, including forceful rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object, forcible oral copulation, and sexual exploitation, by a jury in February 2018. Bathum was also given a 20-year term for his role in a $175 million healthcare fraud scam. The sentence will run concurrently with his 52-year sentence for sexual assault.
After his arrest for some shocking allegations in November 2016, Christopher Bathum’s then-successful business of establishing sober living homes came to an end. While he seemed to be a psychologist who wanted to help individuals overcome their addictions, the reality was considerably more harmful.
‘20/20: Rehab Mogul,’ an ABC News special, focuses on Christopher’s innumerable crimes and the individuals he harmed in the process. So, shall we investigate what transpired?
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What is Christopher Bathum’s Background?
Christopher co-founded Seasons in Malibu, California, in the ostensibly “luxury rehab” market. He eventually leveraged his insider knowledge to start Community Recovery Los Angeles, which expanded into a network of around twenty institutions across California and Colorado.
The company rose to prominence by marketing itself as a treatment centre for persons suffering from addictions. Pools, private chefs, and yoga were among the amenities available to the facility’s members.
However, in 2015, many reports concerning Christopher’s past and his behaviour with patients surfaced, causing things to shift. Christopher pretended to be a psychologist and never completed college, according to a LA Weekly exposé. His previous employment experience included pool cleaning, and he was also trained in hypnosis.
Christopher had already been convicted of felony charges for selling products on eBay that he never delivered. He was also a meth and heroin addict who overdosed while using drugs with patients in a motel.
This was merely the beginning of the story. Several patients at his clinic soon came forward to claim that he had sexually assaulted them. Christopher preyed on ladies who were struggling with addictions, offering them corporate cars and iPhones while simultaneously dangling the one thing they were trying to avoid: drugs. Former clients Nicole Johnston and Jennifer Irick said he drugged them and sexually abused them.
Roseann Stahl, a former employee, claimed she was fired after witnessing Christopher using drugs and having sex with clients. She even discovered drugs in his car at one point. Several former patients claimed Christopher of sex abuse between 2012 and 2016, almost all of which occurred in his treatment centres, according to authorities.
Apart from the claims of sexual assault, Christopher and his CFO, Kirsten Wallace, were also involved in insurance fraud. Without their patients’ knowledge, the couple purchased insurance plans in their names. They billed past consumers and, in many cases, companies for services that were never provided.
What happened to Christopher Bathum and Where Is He Now?
Christopher was found guilty of 31 counts in February 2018, when he was 56 years old, including rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object, forcible oral copulation, and sexual exploitation. In addition, he pleaded no contest to several counts of grand theft, insurance fraud, identity theft, and money laundering in January 2020.
As a result, Christopher was sentenced to 52 years in prison for sex crimes and a concurrent 20-year sentence for a $175 million health insurance fraud scheme. According to records, he is currently jailed at the Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, California. Christopher was sentenced to life in prison for sex offences and will be eligible for parole in November 2036.