was once in a Mormon bishopric; pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including rape of a 17-year-old girl
Details

Personal information

  • Bills, Donald Nelson
  • Gender: Male

Case summary

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08/31/14 Provo, Utah

LDS Donald Nelson Bills, a Bishop in the LDS church “55, pleaded guilty Thursday to
forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony; object rape, a first-degree felony; forcible sexual
abuse, a second-degree felony; obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; and tampering
with a witness, a third-degree felony. In exchange for the plea, 10 additional charges were
dismissed.”

The child was 17 years old. “Bills would talk to the girl often about his personal life, including
his experiences in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his service in an LDS
Church bishopric, and his absent sex life with his wife, according to the charges.”

“Bills used his position in an LDS bishopric to convince the girl that their behavior was not
inappropriate, according to the charges. He also told her that if their relationship was ever
discovered, she should say they had only kissed and that she had initiated it.”

Former Provo High teacher pleads guilty to having sex with student

July 3, 2015

“father insisted Bills knew “exactly what he was doing” as he coaxed the teenager into a
relationship and then used manipulation and threats to hide it.

“1 will never forgive Donald Bills,” the father said. “My family and 1, we are hurting and
nobody that has never gone through this will ever understand.”

Popular Provo teacher imprisoned for ‘heinous’ sexual grooming of student

By McKenzie Romero, Deseret News

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LDS/Mormon church membership history

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LDS mission information

The accused did not serve a full-time LDS mission.

LDS temple marriage information

FLOODLIT is not aware whether the accused was married in a Mormon temple.

LDS church positions ever held by the accused: Counselor in bishopric
LDS church positions held by the accused at the time of the alleged crime(s):
LDS church positions held by the accused at the time of being publicly accused:

Alleged crime(s)

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Alleged victim(s)

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  • Number of alleged victim(s) - note if approximate:
  • Average age of alleged victim(s) at time of alleged crime(s):

Arrest(s)

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Criminal charge(s)

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Criminal verdict(s)

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Criminal sentence

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Prison time

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Other court cases

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LDS church response(s)

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  • Alleged failure to report by local LDS leaders? no
  • Alleged misconduct by local LDS leaders? no
  • Alleged misconduct by global LDS leaders? no

FLOODLIT is not aware whether the Mormon church paid any settlement amounts related to this case.

View all Mormon sexual abuse settlements

 

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