The criminal investigation involving Batavia chiropractor David Hanson has changed significantly since authorities first announced charges in November 2025. Hanson, who operated Hanson Family Chiropractic in Batavia, Illinois, is accused of secretly videotaping a large number of patients, including children, while they were unclothed or partially unclothed during visits to his office.
The scope of the prosecution later expanded dramatically. In February 2026, a Kane County grand jury returned an indictment containing 76 felony counts. The allegations involve child sexual abuse material (CSAM), distribution and possession of that material, and unauthorized recordings allegedly made inside the chiropractic practice. Prosecutors further contend that recordings involving certain patients were transmitted or shared online.
For former patients and their families, the criminal prosecution leaves important civil questions unanswered. They may want to know whether they appear in any recovered recordings, whether those recordings were viewed or distributed, how their identities will be protected, and whether they have a separate right to pursue monetary compensation.
If you were treated at Hanson Family Chiropractic and believe that you or your child may have been secretly recorded, Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC can discuss the circumstances privately and explain potential civil options. Learn more about our hidden camera lawsuit practice or call (312) 243-9922 for free and confidential information.
What Was Hanson Family Chiropractic?
Hanson Family Chiropractic operated at 1928 W. Wilson Street in Batavia and offered chiropractic care along with red-light and near-infrared-light therapies. Prosecutors allege that patients were recorded without their knowledge while removing clothing or while unclothed inside the office.
Civil complaints filed by former patients have also alleged that recording equipment was concealed within or behind ordinary fixtures in treatment areas, including vents or fans, where patients would have had strong reasons to expect privacy.
The current indictment places the alleged criminal conduct within a period beginning January 1, 2016 and continuing through November 5, 2025. That timeframe is broader than some of the dates reported when the investigation initially became public.
How Extensive Are the Criminal Charges?
On February 20, 2026, the Kane County State's Attorney's Office announced the grand-jury indictment.
Rather than a small number of recording charges, the indictment now contains several categories of alleged offenses. In total, it includes 44 Class X felony counts relating to the alleged creation, dissemination, or reproduction of child sexual abuse material, 22 Class 2 felony counts alleging possession of such material, and 10 Class 4 felony counts involving unauthorized video recording.
According to prosecutors, part of the investigation concerns videos depicting patients from Hanson's chiropractic office that were allegedly distributed online. The State's Attorney's Office has stated that 16 of the indictment counts involving dissemination relate to alleged clinic victims.
What Have Authorities Said About Other Employees or Family Members?
Investigators have not publicly accused Hanson's relatives or clinic employees of participating in the alleged recording activity. The prosecution's presently stated position is that Hanson was the sole person responsible and that investigators have not uncovered evidence showing that employees or family members knew about or assisted with the alleged conduct.
That distinction is important in a civil case. Simply showing that misconduct took place inside a business does not automatically establish liability against every person or company associated with that location. A claim against another employee, business entity, landlord, property owner, or other third party would depend upon evidence concerning that party's own duties, knowledge, control, conduct, and opportunity to prevent or discover what occurred.
Where Does the Criminal Case Stand Now?
Hanson entered a not-guilty plea to the indictment on March 12, 2026. The Kane County State's Attorney's David Hanson Case Updates page reports that the judge later rejected a defense request to divide the charges into separate proceedings.
At a July 31 status hearing, the parties did not file additional motions, and the case was continued for a conference conducted under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 402.
As of September 2, 2026, the State's Attorney's Office reports that Hanson is scheduled to return to court on September 3 for a possible plea. If the prosecution is resolved through a plea, sentencing would occur at a later date. Victims who have been formally identified could also have an opportunity to submit or present victim-impact statements as permitted by law.
Because that court appearance is imminent, readers viewing this page after September 3 should consult the State's Attorney's official update page for any change in case status.
Unless and until Hanson pleads guilty or is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, he remains legally presumed innocent.
Professional Licensing Action Against Hanson
The allegations also resulted in action against Hanson's professional license. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation reported that his chiropractic license was placed under a temporary suspension following the felony charges announced in November 2025.
Professional discipline serves a different purpose from either a criminal prosecution or a civil lawsuit. A licensing agency can restrict or terminate a professional's authority to practice, but that process does not determine what compensation an individual patient may be entitled to recover for legally compensable harm.
Why Secret Recording in a Treatment Room Can Be Especially Harmful
Healthcare and wellness patients often place themselves in unusually vulnerable situations. They may be asked to remove clothing, expose areas of the body, or position themselves for treatment while reasonably assuming that the treatment room is private.
Learning that such moments may have been recorded without consent can cause consequences far beyond the original invasion of privacy. Depending upon the individual, those consequences may include:
- significant anxiety or emotional distress;
- fear that recordings were viewed by strangers or distributed online;
- loss of confidence in doctors and other healthcare professionals;
- humiliation or embarrassment;
- sleep problems or recurring thoughts about the incident;
- the need for counseling or psychological treatment; and
- other trauma-related effects.
Those concerns can be especially severe when the person recorded was a child or when the alleged footage depicts nudity.
Illinois Law Prohibits Certain Unauthorized Video Recordings
Illinois has a criminal statute specifically directed at unauthorized video recording. 720 ILCS 5/26-4 prohibits several forms of nonconsensual recording involving intimate areas or circumstances and also addresses distribution of recordings created in violation of the statute.
That criminal statute determines conduct the State may prosecute. Whether a patient has a separate right to recover civil damages requires analysis under Illinois civil law.
What Civil Claims May Be Available to Patients?
A criminal prosecution does not prevent an affected patient from pursuing a separate civil case when an appropriate cause of action exists. The two systems serve different purposes: the criminal case concerns punishment by the State, while a civil case may provide compensation to the person who was harmed.
Depending upon the evidence, potential civil theories may include:
- invasion of privacy based upon an intentional intrusion into private affairs;
- intentional infliction of emotional distress;
- negligence or another claim against a business or entity when an independent legal duty and breach can be established;
- breach of professional or fiduciary obligations in circumstances where Illinois law recognizes such a duty; and
- other statutory or common-law claims supported by the particular facts.
Intrusion Upon Seclusion Under Illinois Law
Illinois recognizes a privacy claim when someone intentionally intrudes into another person's private affairs in a manner that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person. The Illinois Supreme Court discussed the elements of this form of privacy action in Lawlor v. North American Corporation of Illinois.
Allegations that an unclothed patient was deliberately recorded without consent inside a private treatment room plainly raise the type of privacy interests that such a claim is designed to protect. Whether all required elements can be proven in any particular case still depends upon the evidence.
Does the Illinois Gender Violence Act Automatically Apply?
No. The earlier version of this article listed the Illinois Gender Violence Act among possible claims without sufficiently explaining its limitations.
The Illinois Gender Violence Act applies only when the facts satisfy the definitions and requirements contained in that statute. A hidden or unauthorized recording does not automatically become a Gender Violence Act case merely because the recording was wrongful or involved nudity.
Whether that statute applies should therefore be evaluated individually rather than assumed.
Can a Patient Bring a Civil Case Before the Criminal Prosecution Ends?
Potentially, yes. A victim generally does not have to wait for the criminal case to reach a verdict before consulting civil counsel or, when appropriate, filing suit. Civil cases connected to the Hanson allegations have already been filed.
When criminal and civil cases proceed at the same time, however, courts may have to manage sensitive issues involving discovery, access to recordings, protective orders, the criminal defendant's constitutional rights, and requests to postpone particular parts of civil discovery.
For that reason, the existence of a pending criminal prosecution is not a reason to ignore a possible civil claim or its filing deadline.
Can a Patient File a Lawsuit Without Publicly Revealing Their Name?
Courts recognize that cases involving nudity, minors, sexual exploitation, or secret recordings can involve extraordinarily sensitive personal information. In appropriate circumstances, a plaintiff may ask to proceed using a pseudonym such as Jane Doe or John Doe.
Courts can also enter protective orders governing who may see sensitive evidence and how it may be used. Separately, the Kane County State's Attorney has stated that identifying information concerning victims and the digital materials recovered during its investigation will not be released to the general public.
How Long Does a Patient Have to File a Civil Lawsuit?
There is no single filing deadline that should be applied to every former Hanson patient. The limitations period can change depending upon the type of civil claim, the patient's age, the date of the alleged recording, when the conduct was discovered, the identity of the proposed defendants, and other legal considerations.
Illinois does provide an unusually protective limitations rule for claims that meet the statutory definition of childhood sexual abuse. 735 ILCS 5/13-202.2 can permit an action that qualifies under that statute to be filed without the ordinary limitations deadline that applies to many other civil claims.
That does not mean every alleged hidden-camera recording of a child necessarily falls within §13-202.2. Whether the statute applies depends upon the conduct alleged and whether the particular claim satisfies the law's definition and other requirements.
Claims based upon different legal theories may have much shorter deadlines. Former patients therefore should not assume that they can safely wait indefinitely before obtaining legal advice.
You can also review our discussion of time limits and civil lawsuits involving sexual abuse.
What Should Former Hanson Family Chiropractic Patients Do Now?
If you or your child received treatment at Hanson Family Chiropractic during the period being investigated, several practical steps may help preserve important evidence:
- Keep documents showing when you were a patient. Preserve appointment confirmations, bills, insurance explanations of benefits, emails, texts, and calendar entries.
- Create a private written timeline. Note the approximate dates of treatment, which rooms were used, what treatment you received, whether you were asked to remove clothing, and anything you remember about vents, fans, ceiling fixtures, or other objects in the treatment area.
- Save communications from law enforcement. If an investigator or prosecutor contacts you, retain that person's name, agency, contact information, and any case or reference number provided.
- Do not seek out or circulate sensitive recordings. Evidence involving nudity or minors should remain in the custody of investigators and the courts.
- Obtain individualized civil advice if appropriate. An attorney can evaluate possible claims and deadlines while the criminal matter remains pending.
- Consider professional emotional support. Discovering that a trusted healthcare professional may have secretly recorded you or your child can itself cause significant distress.
The Kane County State's Attorney's Office has advised that investigators continue working to identify potential victims. A former patient should not necessarily conclude that they were unaffected simply because investigators have not yet contacted them.
How Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC Assists Hidden Camera Victims
Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC represents adults and families in serious hidden camera and privacy-violation cases as well as civil lawsuits involving sexual abuse and assault.
Our legal team is led by Attorney Mitchell S. Sexner, a former prosecutor who handled criminal cases before entering private practice. That prosecutorial experience can be particularly useful when a civil investigation must proceed alongside an active criminal case.
We also handle and investigate allegations involving secret recordings in medical offices, wellness businesses, workplaces, and other locations where people reasonably expect privacy. Additional information is available in our discussion of hidden cameras in spas, salons, and tanning businesses.
Depending upon the circumstances, our work may include preserving records, investigating who had access to relevant rooms or equipment, evaluating insurance and potential sources of recovery, examining whether any institution or business bears independent responsibility, coordinating appropriately with law enforcement, and documenting the emotional and financial effects upon the victim.
Our legal team has helped injury and abuse clients obtain millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, including matters handled with co-counsel when appropriate. Prior results do not guarantee a particular result in another case.
Call for a Free and Confidential Consultation
The allegations involving Hanson Family Chiropractic concern the kind of privacy that patients reasonably expect when they enter a healthcare treatment room. Former patients do not need to wait for the criminal prosecution to end before learning whether they have potential civil rights or legal deadlines that require attention.
If you were treated at Hanson Family Chiropractic or believe that you or your child may have been secretly recorded there, call Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC at (312) 243-9922. Consultations are free and confidential. For matters accepted on a contingency-fee basis, no attorney fee is owed unless a recovery is obtained.
