George William Aaron

Sources

1. 'My Father Abused Me, I Told The Bishop, Nothing Happened', KUER, June 27, 2018.
2. STATE OF UTAH AARON, [Jane Doe] vs. AARON, GEORGE - CASE NUMBER 990400601, Utah Xchange, January 15, 2023.

• 1. 'My Father Abused Me, I Told The Bishop, Nothing Happened'

  • 27 Jun 2018
  • News article
  • KUER

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  Over the last few months, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a magnifying glass pointed on its leaders' handling of sexual abuse complaints, including some that are decades-old.

  Among those allegations is the matter of a former church leader accused of raping a young missionary, who has since filed a lawsuit, and former White House aid Rob Porter’s domestic abuse.

  But many similar stories have yet to see the spotlight.

  One of those, told here publicly for the first time, involves two sisters who both say they were sexually abused as teenagers by their father, a former local church leader. The sisters’ account is based on interviews and court documents reviewed by KUER.

  [Daughter 1] and her younger sister [Daughter 2] say George William “Bill” Aaron abused them when they were growing up in Provo in the 1980s and early 1990s.

  “It started with, ‘I need you to rub my lower back.’ With nothing but a hand towel covering his body and lowering that quite low,” [Daughter 1] said.

  She said her father would then offer to give her a massage. It escalated from there. As she got older, [Daughter 1]’s father would slip into her bed and molest her.

  [Daughter 2] said she noticed a change in how her father treated her once she hit puberty. He would make comments about how she and [Daughter 1] looked.

  “He would compare my body to hers and almost try to make me feel better that she would wish she had a body like mine,” she said.

  [Daughter 2] said she was molested as well. A civil jury later reached a verdict that Bill Aaron had behaved with "reckless disregard" toward his younger daughter.

  Bill Aaron, who is now in his 70s, previously served as a Mormon bishop for a college congregation. When reached for comment at his home he said his daughters claims are “fictitious.”

  In a written response to a request for comment, LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said, as part of a longer statement, "Now that the Church has been made aware of this situation, local leaders will be encouraged to take steps to address this according to Church policy."

  The sisters, who are now in their 40s, decided to share their story because they’ve realized they’re not alone. Others have experienced abuse and felt silenced by their Mormon community.

  For a long time, the sisters didn’t talk about the abuse — not even with each other. The topic didn’t come up until [Daughter 1] was out of the house and married with a child of her own. Then, one night in 1992, that started to change.

  [Daughter 2] was babysitting for [Daughter 1]’s son at their parents’ home. When [Daughter 1] returned to pick up her two-year-old, she walked into her sister’s bedroom and saw her journal open.

  “Words leapt off the page. To the effect of, ‘I hate him. I never want to be around him,’” [Daughter 1] said.

  She didn’t have to guess who her sister was talking about.

  Days later they went for a drive up Provo Canyon. [Daughter 1] knew if she came right out with it that her younger, and more reserved, sister might close off. So, she started slow, sharing simple details.

  “If I used to lock my [bedroom] door I would get in trouble,” [Daughter 1] said. “I would get grounded if I locked the door.”

  She talked about the ways their father behaved inappropriately. Her sister nodded her head. As they talked, Aaron opened up.

  “What it did is it gave me a safe person,” [Daughter 2] said. “It gave me someone I could talk to about it and who understood completely.”

  [Daughter 1] was grateful when her sister entrusted her with her story. But she also felt racked with guilt.

  “My own silence had had an effect on my sister,” she said. “And it was something that I had never thought of until that day.”

  Because there are eight years between them, [Daughter 1] never thought her little sister was vulnerable to the same things she experienced. But once she knew, she acted. The sisters consulted their mother who encouraged them to tell their Mormon bishop, the head of the local congregation. And that’s what they did.

  The sisters hoped they could speak with their bishop alone. The bishop insisted on having Bill Aaron in the room. He denied everything they said. When they would share a new detail of the abuse he would interrupt, saying “That’s not how I remember it happening.”

  “I remember you and I turning and looking at each other with our eyes wide open and shaking our heads and then looking at the bishop and waiting.” [Daughter 1] said.

  They were waiting for the bishop to push back on their father — to challenge him and dig a little deeper.

  “I kind of felt stupid, sitting there,” [Daughter 2] said.

  “It felt like we were being questioned,” [Daughter 1] said. “It didn’t feel like he was being questioned.”

  As far as the sisters know the bishop didn’t probe deeper. [Daughter 1] says nothing came of it. No therapists or law enforcement were involved. And their father, a former bishop himself, received no church discipline.

  In the statement emailed to KUER, LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins wrote “Abuse cannot be tolerated in any form. In recent years, resources and instructions for priesthood leaders have been augmented significantly, including the introduction of the Church's abuse helpline in the mid-90s.

  “Leaders are now provided with broader guidance on how to handle cases of abuse, including how to report, caring for victims, and when disciplinary action from the Church may be appropriate. Church leaders are instructed that when there is evidence of child abuse, disciplinary action from the Church is required.”

  He stopped touching them, but the abuse didn’t totally end. The sisters credit that change to them being on high alert.

  Years later, [Daughter 1] was attending an abuse support group on the Brigham Young University campus.

  “I was sitting in a room, full of women, who had been sexually abused by a family member — most of them,” she said.

  [Daughter 1] said most of group’s stories sounded identical to hers: “My father abused me. I told the bishop. Nothing happened.”

  “I just knew that wasn’t going to be my story,” she said. “I wasn’t going to allow that to be my story.”

  Things were changing for the Aaron family. Their parents divorced and their father was dating a woman whom he wanted to marry.

  One day, as he was talking about his girlfriend’s daughter, [Daughter 1] became worried. Her father was talking about the 12-year-old girl’s body, complimenting it.

  “Oh no. This is the same age I was. The same age my sister was. All the red flags were going up,” [Daughter 1] said.

  Determined not to let this go, she reached out to his father’s girlfriend. But [Daughter 1] said she showed no concern.

  [Daughter 1] got in touch with a lawyer friend. They talked about prosecuting her father. But there was a hang up. The statute of limitations had run out. But, [Daughter 2] could still sue. But there was another issue: she was serving a Mormon mission in Germany at the time.

  “It was summer of ‘98, and I got a phone call in the middle of the night,” [Daughter 2] said.

  It was her older sister. [Daughter 1] told her what was happening and they both agreed they needed to do something. At first they reached out to their father to settle out of court. They asked him to seek clinical help. He rejected that proposal. They sued him.

  “We would tell each other, it stops with us. It’s stopping here,” [Daughter 2] said. “We’re not going to let this bleed into another generation.”

  In 2001, their case made it to court in Provo.

  “It was a jury trial, it lasted three days. And we were successful,” [Daughter 2] said.

  The jury found Bill Aaron had breached his fiduciary duty. And that he had inflicted emotional distress. In its verdict, the jury wrote that Bill Aaron behaved recklessly and offensively by massaging [Daughter 2]’s breasts and buttocks and forcing her to sleep in the same bed as him. But the jury stopped short of calling it sexual molestation.

  A handwritten court verdict reads "The defendant exhibited reckless disregard and offended the generally accepted standards of decency and morality when defendant gave plaintiff the backrub that involved undoing plaintiff’s bra, massaging breasts, sliding hands under panties and massaging buttocks. We also find that coercing plaintiff to sleep in his bed offended generally accepted standards and exhibited reckless behavior in doing so.”

  Their father paid $25,000 in punitive damages. But, his standing in the LDS Church didn’t change.

  Looking back, the sisters say that a lot of pain and heartache could have been avoided if only their bishop had intervened — if there had been a better plan in place.

  [Daughter 2] sees one glaring issue in particular: how the LDS Church handles reports of abuse.

  “You ultimately are always reporting to men,” she said. “As a woman, when you have situations that happen like ours, it doesn’t instill confidence that you’re being protected and looked out for.”

  Ultimately, [Daughter 2] said her father was the one who was protected — not them. And while he paid in a court of law, they paid a much heavier price.

  Full statement from LDS Church spokesperson Eric Hawkins:

  "Abuse cannot be tolerated in any form. In recent years, resources and instructions for priesthood leaders have been augmented significantly, including the introduction of the Church's abuse helpline in the mid-90s.

  "Leaders are now provided with broader guidance on how to handle cases of abuse, including how to report, caring for victims, and when disciplinary action from the Church may be appropriate. Church leaders are instructed that when there is evidence of child abuse, disciplinary action from the Church is required.

  "Now that the Church has been made aware of this situation, local leaders will be encouraged to take steps to address this according to Church policy."

• 2. STATE OF UTAH AARON, [Jane Doe] vs. AARON, GEORGE - CASE NUMBER 990400601

  • 15 Jan 2023
  • Court record
  • Utah Xchange

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  4TH DISTRICT COURT - PROVO UTAH, STATE OF UTAH AARON, [Jane Doe] vs. AARON, GEORGE
  CASE NUMBER 990400601 - Miscellaneous CURRENT ASSIGNED JUDGE: ROBERT C LUNNEN Parties
  Events
  Relationship
  Party
  Represented By
  Plaintiff
  [Jane Doe]
  EDWARD MONTGOMERY
  Defendant
  GEORGE AARON
  MICHAEL ESPLIN
  Date Event
  February 23, 1999 Case filed by [redacted]
  February 23, 1999 Fee Account created
  February 23, 1999 Filed: Complaint
  February 23, 1999 Filed: Demand Civil Jury
  February 23, 1999 Fee Account created
  February 23, 1999 Fee Payment
  March 11, 1999 Filed: Certificate of Service
  March 11, 1999 Filed: Certificate of Service
  March 11, 1999 Filed: Answer
  March 15, 1999 Filed: Summons
  March 15, 1999 Filed: Proof of Service
  September 17, 1999 Filed: Certificate of Service of Discovery
  September 17, 1999 Filed: Certificate of Service of Discovery
  September 17, 1999 Filed: Certificate of Service of Discovery
  October 28, 1999 Filed: Affidavit of [Jane Doe] in Support of Motion for Temporary Restraining Order
  October 28, 1999 Filed: Motion for Temporary Restraining Order
  October 28, 1999 Filed: Affidavit of [redacted] in Support of Motion for Temporary Restraining Order
  October 28, 1999 Filed: Temporary Restraining Order
  October 28, 1999 Fee Account created
  October 28, 1999 Fee Payment
  November 03, 1999 Filed: Affidavit in Opposition to Motion for Restraining Order
  November 03, 1999 Filed: Affidavit in Opposition to Motion for Restraining Order
  November 03, 1999 Filed: Certificate of Service (Discovery)
  November 03, 1999 TEMP RESTRAIN ORDER set on 11/04/1999
  November 04, 1999 PRETRIAL CONFERENCE set on 05/15/2000
  November 04, 1999 Minutes for Temp Restrain Order
  November 04, 1999 Filed: Notice of Taking Deposition of [Jane Doe]
  November 22, 1999 Filed: Plaintiff's First Motion to Compel Discovery
  November 22, 1999 Filed: Memorandum in Support of Motion to Compel
  November 24, 1999 Filed: Restraining Order
  November 30, 1999 Filed: Motion for Protective Order
  December 01, 1999 Filed: Motion to Compel Discovery and for Sanctions
  December 01, 1999 Filed: Memorandum in Support of Motion to Compel Discovery and for Sanctions
  December 01, 1999 Filed: Defendant's Response to Plaintiff's Motion to Compel
  December 30, 1999 Filed: Objection to Motion for Protective Order
  December 30, 1999 Filed: Memorandum in Response to Defendant's Motion to Compel
  February 22, 2000 Filed: Deposition of [Jane Doe]
  April 10, 2000 Filed: Notice of Taking Deposition of George Aaron
  May 11, 2000 PRETRIAL CONFERENCE resched:
  May 17, 2000 Filed: Stipulated Motion to Continue Pretrial Conference
  July 17, 2000 Filed: Supplemental Discovery Response
  July 19, 2000 Minutes for Pretrial Conference
  July 27, 2000 Filed: Subpoena Duces Tecum
  July 27, 2000 Filed: Notice of Taking Deposition of [redacted]
  September 15, 2000 Filed: Defendants Motion for Summary Judgment
  October 10, 2000 Filed: Plaintiffs Response to Defendants Motion for Summary Judgment
  October 25, 2000 Filed: Request for Hearing
  November 08, 2000 MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMEN on 12/20/2000
  December 20, 2000 ARGUMENTS & FINAL PTC on 02/02/2001
  December 20, 2000 Minutes for MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
  January 08, 2001 Filed: Defendants Motion for Independant Psychological Evaluation
  January 08, 2001 Filed: Defendants Designation of Expert Witness
  February 02, 2001 SCHEDULING CONFERENCE on 03/30/2001
  February 02, 2001 Minutes for ARGUMENTS & FINAL PTC
  February 08, 2001 Filed: Ruling
  March 19, 2001 Filed: Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Plaintiffs Motion to Compel Discovery
  March 19, 2001 Filed: Order Denying Defendants Motion for Summary Judgment
  March 19, 2001 Filed: Order Granting Defendants Motion for Independent Medical Examination
  March 30, 2001 Minutes for SCHEDULING CONFERENCE
  March 30, 2001 TELEPHONIC FINAL PRETRIAL on 05/09/2001
  May 09, 2001 Minutes for TELEPHONIC FINAL PRETRIAL
  May 09, 2001 TELEPHONIC FINAL PRETRIAL on 05/30/2001
  May 09, 2001 Filed: Certificate of Service
  May 25, 2001 Filed: Plaintiffs Second Motion to Compel Discovery, Motion for Sanctions and Fees and Request for Expedited Hearing
  May 25, 2001 Filed: Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs Second Motion to Compel
  May 29, 2001 Filed: Certificate of Service (Discovery)- faxed copy
  May 30, 2001 Filed: Certificate of Service
  May 30, 2001 TELEPHONIC FINAL PRETRIAL on 06/25/2001
  May 30, 2001 Minutes for TELEPHONIC FINAL PRETRIAL
  June 08, 2001 Filed: Certificate of Service
  June 25, 2001 Minutes for TELEPHONIC FINAL PRETRIAL
  June 25, 2001 03 DAY JURY TRIAL set on 09/04/2001
  June 25, 2001 03 DAY JURY TRIAL set on 09/05/2001
  June 25, 2001 03 DAY JURY TRIAL set on 09/06/2001
  July 25, 2001 Filed: Defendant's Designation of Witnesses
  September 04, 2001 Filed: Preliminary Jury Instructions
  September 04, 2001 Filed: Juror Questionnaire's
  September 04, 2001 Filed: Jury Selection
  September 04, 2001 Minutes for 03 DAY JURY TRIAL
  September 05, 2001 Minutes for JURY TRIAL
  September 06, 2001 Case Disposition is Granted
  September 06, 2001 Minutes for 03 DAY JURY TRIAL
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Memorandum re: Impeachment Evidence
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Defendants Requested Jury Instructions
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Plaintiffs Proposed Jury Instructions
  September 06, 2001 Filed: List of Remaining 9 Jurors and Seating arrangements
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Question #1 from Jury
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Question #2 from Jury
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Compensatory Damage Jury Instructions
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Special Verdict on First thru Fourth Cause of Actions
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Punitive Damages Jury Instructions
  September 06, 2001 Filed: General Verdict Punitive Damages
  September 06, 2001 Filed: Exhibit List
  September 14, 2001 Filed: Motion for Award for Attorney's Fees
  September 14, 2001 Filed: Affidavit of Edward R. Montgomery filed in Support of Award for Attorney's Fees
  September 19, 2001 Filed: Defendant's Objection to Request for Attorney's Fees and Costs
  September 19, 2001 JUROR ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE on 10/11/2001
  September 19, 2001 Filed: Order to Show Cause (Juror- [redacted])
  September 19, 2001 Filed: Order to Show Cause (Juror- [redacted])
  September 25, 2001 Filed: Order to Show Cause (juror for non-appearance)
  September 26, 2001 Filed: Order to Show Cause (failure to appear for jury)
  October 09, 2001 Filed: Memorandum Re: Attorney Fees
  October 11, 2001 Minutes for JUROR ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE
  October 15, 2001 Filed: Defendant's Responsive Memorandum Re: Attorney's Fees
  March 13, 2002 Fee Account created
  March 13, 2002 Fee Account created
  March 13, 2002 Fee Payment
  March 22, 2002 Fee Account created
  March 22, 2002 Fee Payment
  July 03, 2003 Notice of Intent for Case 990400601
  July 14, 2003 Filed: Return Mail
  August 01, 2003 Case Disposition is Dismissed
  March 03, 2006 EVIDNOTC for Case 990400601 ID 9278646
  March 14, 2008 Filed: Case has met retention schedule and the file has been destroyed

  Account Summary
  Account
  Details
  REVENUE DETAIL - TYPE: COMPLAINT - NO AMT S
  Amount Due: $ Amount Paid: $ Amount Credit: $
  120.00 120.00 0.00
  Balance: * $ 0.00
  REVENUE DETAIL - TYPE: JURY DEMAND - CIVIL
  Amount Due: $ Amount Paid: $ Amount Credit: $
  50.00 50.00 0.00
  Balance: * $ 0.00
  REVENUE DETAIL - TYPE: COPY FEE
  Amount Due: $ 1.25 Amount Paid: $ 1.25 Amount Credit: $ 0.00
  Balance: * $ 0.00
  REVENUE DETAIL - TYPE: COPY FEE
  Amount Due: $ 2.50 Amount Paid: $ 2.50 Amount Credit: $ 0.00
  Balance: * $ 0.00
  REVENUE DETAIL - TYPE: COPY FEE
  Amount Due: $ Amount Paid: $ Amount Credit: $
  12.00 12.00 0.00
  Balance: * $ 0.00
  REVENUE DETAIL - TYPE: COPY FEE
  Amount Due: $ 3.00 Amount Paid: $ 3.00 Amount Credit: $ 0.00
  Balance: * $ 0.00