John Baysden

Sources

1. May sex-abuse trial set for ex-missionary, Deseret News, February 4, 2005.
2. Former LDS Missionary Sentenced for Forcible Sexual Abuse, KSL, January 17, 2006.

• 1. May sex-abuse trial set for ex-missionary

  • 4 Feb 2005
  • News article
  • Deseret News

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  A May trial date has been set for a former missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is charged with three counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.

  John Baysden, 21, of Kingston, N.C., is scheduled to stand trial before 2nd District Judge Pamela Heffernan on May 11-13. The criminal charges arose while Baysden was serving an LDS mission in Roy, which is part of the church's Utah Ogden Mission.

  Court documents state that one female, age 15, told police she was staying overnight Jan. 8 at the Roy home of her aunt and her 18-year-old cousin, when she awoke early in the morning and found Baysden inappropriately touching her. Baysden also was staying overnight at the home.

  Missionaries for the LDS Church are not permitted to sleep overnight at other homes unless there are special circumstances.

  The girl also told police that Baysden had a video camera with him.

  The aunt and cousin confronted Baysden, asked him to relinquish the camera and videotapes, and then asked him to leave the house, which he did. Baysden later told police he had stayed at the home six or more times during a six-week interval.

  The three females watched the video and saw images of Baysden fondling the 15-year-old, as well as images of the 18-year-old being inappropriately touched, possibly on a different date, court documents state. They contacted police, and Baysden was arrested that day.

  A law enforcement official who questioned Baysden said the ex-missionary admitted touching the 18-year-old and videotaping the incident while she slept and also touching her on another occasion that was not taped, court documents state. He also said he had touched the 15-year-old and filmed that incident, according to court documents.

• 2. Former LDS Missionary Sentenced for Forcible Sexual Abuse

  • 17 Jan 2006
  • News article
  • KSL

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  OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- Former Mormon missionary John Baysen [sic Baysden] of Kinston, N.C., has been sentenced to 180 days in jail for fondling a girl and a young woman as they slept and videotaping it.

  Baysden, 22, had pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible sex abuse, both second-degree felonies carrying potential sentences of one to 15 years in prison.

  Second District Judge Pamela Heffernan dismissed two other forcible sex abuse charges and two misdemeanor counts of voyeurism.

  Baysden, prior to sentencing last week, underwent a court-ordered 90-day psychosexual evaluation.

  The judge ordered Baysden to be on probation for 36 months, complete a sex offender therapy program and have his name put on the sex offender registry.

  Baysden was serving in Roy as part of the Ogden Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  Police say he was befriended by a family and illegally touched the victims, ages 15 and 18, while sleeping over at the home Jan. 8, 2005.

  Baysden was arrested after the 15-year-old victim allegedly woke up Saturday morning to him fondling her with one hand and recording the act with the camera in his other.

  Baysden has been released from his mission pending the outcome, church spokesman Dale Bills said after the arrest.

  "Allegations that a missionary may have engaged in improper conduct are heartbreaking for all involved," Bills said. "The church expects the highest moral and ethical standards of its missionaries."