Robert Berchtold (1936 – 2005) was a Mormon church member in Idaho; sexually abused a child; in 1986, was found guilty of rape of a child and spent one year in jail.

In January 1974, a Mormon stake high council disciplined Bob Berchtold for his involvement with “another young girl,” perhaps not his main abuse victim.

Berchtold had tried to victimize at least a half-dozen other young girls in that era and had been reprimanded by the LDS church in 1974. While we don’t know what that reprimand consisted of, it wasn’t an excommunication.

The Netflix documentary/series: Abducted in Plain Sight covers Berchtold’s story.

FLOODLIT has received a report from someone who knew Berchtold. The source said Berchtold spent seven years working at the Las Vegas Nevada Mormon temple as an ordinance worker and that he was a bishopric counselor for some time.

Berchtold allegedly had at least seven victims.

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FLOODLIT.org compiles reports on sexual abuse in the LDS church to raise public awareness and help survivors heal. Learn more » or Get involved »

Other Mormon sex abuse cases

    • Richard James (1966 – ) was a Mormon church member in Potomac, Maryland; accused of sexually abusing a boy from 1995 to 1999 at billionaire Bill Marriott's home, an LDS church and other locations; pleaded guilty to reduced child abuse charges; sentenced to 10 years in prison (nine suspended); was a registered sex offender; the victim sued the church, Marriott and six others in 2024
    • View report »
    • Orson Wright (1928 – 2017) was a Mormon mission president in Sydney, Australia from 1978 to 1980; accused of grooming some of the sister missionaries in his care to be his polygamous wives; removed early from his mission assignment; LDS church leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah allegedly covered up the reasons for Wright's removal
    • View report »

Sources

  1. Robert Berchtold - obituary, , October 9, 2025.
  2. Why Didn’t Robert Berchtold Of 'A Friend Of The Family' Serve Significant Jail Time? - Oxygen, , October 9, 2025.
  3. Abducted in Plain Sight - Netflix, , October 9, 2025.
  4. The Role Mormon Religion Plays In 'Abducted In Plain Sight' - Forbes, , October 9, 2025.

Documents

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Criminal case documents

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Civil case documents

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Timeline

  • 1936
    Born

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