Additional suit accuses Markley of paying money for fake physicals over a four-year span
A second lawsuit has been filed against a local nurse and business owner, adding to a long list of legal troubles that includes accusations of prostitution and pimping.
A lawsuit filed Aug. 18 in Story County accuses Carl Markley, 44 of Ames, of using his status as a hiring manager at two Ames businesses, as well as his role as a registered nurse, to sexually assault, abuse and molest a person in Story County.
The suit requests a preliminary injunction and demands a jury trial. A motion for the preliminary injunction is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 25.
Markley previously operated the Wellness Clinic in Ankeny and also was co-owner of Inside Golf, Perfect Games and Time To Roll in Ames. Markley worked for Gold Medal Property, a property management company, and regularly conducted athletic physicals for the Ames Middle School and high school.
Markley is charged with 10 counts of pimping and prostitution stemming from a months-long Ames Police Department investigation that uncovered several recording devices at properties owned by Markley. The evidence allegedly documented “studies” he conducted on various subjects. He was arrested in April for allegedly paying several juveniles money to perform “sexual studies” at properties under his ownership. He allegedly used his Ankeny clinic as cover on several occasions.
Additionally, a lawsuit was filed in July in Polk County accusing Markley of executing a fake sexual health study through his clinic.
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Markley accused of conducting "practice physicals" on his underage employee
The most recent lawsuit against Markley accuses the father of two of performing “practice physicals” on a person under the age of 18 over a four-year span, telling the subject the physicals were part of a “class he had to take” for research and for “product testing,” court documents said.
According to Story County court documents, Markley allegedly hired the person in July 2018. The victim claims they developed a "trustint" relationship with Markley, who later paid cash or sent money via the cash-exchange app Venmo to conduct “practice physicals” at Wellness Clinic in Ankeny, which included physical examinations and physical touch through the summer of 2022. The person was led to believe, according to court documents, that Markley was making payments through his Wellness Clinic. The suit also alleges Markley of offering additional money for “male-specific” physicals, which included Markley touching the subject’s genitals.
The suit also claims Markley paid for gas for the victim to travel to and from Ankeny.
When the person turned 18, the suit alleges Markley offered to perform “massage practices” on the person in exchange for money, which was done at a residence owned by Markley at Twain Circle in Ames. The victim said Markley conducted fully nude massages twice a week. Markley is accused of asking to touch the subject’s genitals, while at other times, permission allegedly was not sought.
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Court documents say Markley created a website after police searched his various properties called 21stcenturymale.com, a company that Markley described as “a research group, specializing in male sexual health topics.”
The lawsuit also claims Markley “used his authority and position as a nurse practitioner, his practice at Back to Wellness, and his ownership and/or employment and/or agency of 21st Century Male Products to sexually assault, abuse, and molest plaintiff, and an unknown number of other individuals, minors, and young adults.”
Ames PD began investigating Markley last winter
The Ames Police Department launched an investigation in December 2022 into accusations of illegal sexual conduct between Markley and several juveniles. A handful of witnesses have accused Markley of offering money in exchange for sexual favors, according to court documents, while several recording devices found in Markley's possession contained images of a naked minor. The charges involve conduct in both Story and Polk counties.
Markley is accused of running several prostitution encounters out of various rental properties.
A witness who came forward in June, according to court documents, said Markley had asked the person to meet them at his “study” in the 4000 block of Twain Street on several occasions. The location was in a basement unit of an apartment complex owned by Markley. The interview subject accused Markley of allegedly conducting a sexual act on the person for which the subject was paid roughly $600 and $700 for four to five sessions, court documents said.
Markley also is accused of offering to pay a person to meet them at a rental property in the 3000 block of Marigold on March 21. Markley allegedly touched the subject’s genitals and paid the witness cash for the sexual act.
Officers conducted a search warrant on Markley’s businesses and home and uncovered a signed document dated March 21 that tied Markley to the alleged sexual act.
Additional search warrants revealed a hidden clock camera and pen camera. The devices contained images of a naked minor allegedly taken during a physical exam.
A jury trial for Markley’s charges of prostitution, invasion of privacy and pimping is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 16. Markley pleaded not guilty to the 10 charges on July 26.
Polk County suit accuses Markley of running fake sexual health study
Accusations have continued to roll out following Markley's initial April arrest.
A lawsuit filed July 14 in Polk County accuses Markley of using his Wellness Clinic in Ankeny as a front to defraud and secretly record a couple. The suit, filed by Roxanne Conlin & Associates, P.C. in Des Moines, accuses Markley and his business, Wellness Clinic in Ankeny, of sexual battery, negligence, fraud, emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
The lawsuit accuses Markley of offering $400 to a couple to participate in a “fraudulent” study in 2020. The plaintiff, whose boyfriend worked for one of Markley's businesses, alleges he offered $400 to couples willing to participate in the study, which involved multiple visits and physical examinations at the clinic.
Markley surrenders nursing license
Markley surrendered his nursing license in July after prosecutors allege he had been operating a prostitution scheme for 15 years.
The Iowa Board of Nursing, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, claims Markley allegedly wrote prescriptions for more than 14,000 tablets of medication for a nonprofit pharmacy.
Brandon Hurley is editor of the Ames Tribune and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at bhurley@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: New suit accuses Markley of sexually abusing underage employee
