Pierre Henri Euvrard

A Mormon mission president allegedly trafficked children, sexually assaulting them for years, while church officials in Utah dismissed victims, according to a lawsuit filed in Arizona in 2020.

FLOODLIT has learned of a lawsuit filed in 2020 in Arizona against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints alleging that a mission president sexually abused underage teens for years, and that multiple Mormon leaders, including general authority Earl C. Tingey, failed to protect victims.

Church leaders and Mormon government officials conspired to help another alleged child molester flee to Mexico to avoid prosecution, the lawsuit says.

Mormon officials accused of failure to protect child sex abuse victims:

• Pierre Euvrard, mission president
• Edwin G. Staples, bishop
• Earl C. Tingey, general authority, First Quorum of the Seventy
• Daniel P. Hall, Third Quorum of the Seventy
• Matthieu Bennesar, area authority seventy in France

In the lawsuit filed in Cochise County (case S0200CV202000638), three plaintiffs accused the Mormon church of human trafficking, covering up their child sexual abuse for years, and failing to report abuse allegations to civil authorities.
Two of the plaintiffs, John Doe I and John Doe II alleged they were minors trafficked across international borders by a mission president, P.E., for prolonged sexual abuse.

The “P.E.” in the lawsuit is likely former LDS mission president Pierre Euvrard, whose biographical details line up closely with those given in the lawsuit. Floodlit reviewed articles from The Church News and web pages about the LDS Mascarene Islands Mission, which show that Euvrard was a mission president in the same region and during the same timeframe as those described in the lawsuit.

Euvrard worked in the Mormon church in the following positions before his time as mission president in 1991 to 1994, according to a Church News article published March 30, 1991: bishop, former temple worker, executive secretary to mission president, high councilor, stake mission president, bishop’s counselor.

Euvrard also went on an LDS mission to Italy from 1969 to 1971.

The photo above, from an LDS church magazine (l’Etoile) in June 1969, shows Pierre Euvrard, “first missionary from the Nogent (France) branch, during his departure on a mission to Italy.”

The third plaintiff, Jane Doe, claimed she was abused by Alan Kevin Reeves, a Mormon man in Arizona who allegedly fled to Mexico with church leaders’ assistance after his indictment, avoiding prosecution.

Mormon officials helped an Arizona LDS church member, Alan Kevin Reeves, flee to Mexico to avoid charges of child sexual abuse, a third plaintiff alleges.

The lawsuit accused the church of failing to protect vulnerable minors, neglecting to enforce policies against sexual misconduct, and engaging in obstruction of justice, including dismissing charges against Reeves.

The plaintiffs asserted the church’s actions constitute a pattern of racketeering under civil RICO, prioritizing the organization’s interests over victim safety.

The lawsuit alleges assault, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and premises liability, seeking damages for profound emotional and economic harm.

Timeline of Allegations

1987

Ongoing Abuse of Jane Doe: Alan Kevin Reeves, a Mormon man in Cochise County, Arizona, allegedly repeatedly rapes and sexually assaults plaintiff Jane Doe, then a 9-year-old girl. The abuse, described as unusually cruel and violent, involves genital torture and sodomy and continues for years, affecting Jane Doe and multiple other children (pp. 9-10).
Church Awareness and Failure to Act: The abuse is allegedly reported to Jane Doe’s bishop, Edwin G. Staples, who fails to report it to authorities. Instead, Staples and other church leaders allegedly offer Jane Doe and her family free counseling for life to dissuade them from reporting the abuse, a tactic the plaintiffs say the church uses to silence victims (p. 9).

1988

After a criminal investigation and child protective services involvement, a grand jury indicts Reeves on four counts: two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, one count of sexual abuse, and one count of child molestation, involving four victims, including Jane Doe (p. 9).

Same Day – Reeves Flees to Mexico: Within hours of the indictment, church leaders, including Edwin Staples and Alan Polley (a Mormon deputy county attorney in Cochise County), allegedly conspire to arrange for Reeves to flee to Mexico under the guise of a church “mission.” Reeves leaves the US on the same day, failing to appear for his arraignment (p. 2, 9-10).

Dismissal of Charges: Instead of issuing a warrant for Reeves’ failure to appear, Alan Polley dismisses the charges against him. This action prevents tolling (delaying) of the statute of limitations, effectively barring future prosecution. The dismissal is alleged to stem from Polley’s loyalty to the church, as he was a member of the same ward and stake as Reeves’ family (p. 10).

Early 1990s (Unspecified Dates)

Reeves Returns to Arizona: Reeves returns to Arizona when Jane Doe is in 7th grade (approximately 1990-1992). Despite the church’s knowledge of Reeves’ indictment, LDS officials allegedly permit him to continue working with children (p. 10).

1993

Additional Charges Against Reeves: Reeves is charged with sexual assault and kidnapping in an unrelated matter, indicating a pattern of predatory behavior (p. 10).

1991-1995

Abuse and Trafficking of John Doe I and John Doe II: John Doe I and John Doe II, minors aged approximately 15-16, are allegedly groomed, psychologically manipulated, sexually abused, and trafficked by a mission president, P.E., who is not related to them (p. 11). FLOODLIT’s research suggests that “P.E.” refers to Pierre Euvrard, who was mission president of the Mascarene Islands / South Africa Durban Mission from 1991 to 1994.

Initial Contact (1991): The boys meet P.E. at an LDS youth conference in their home country. P.E., a high-ranking church leader with priesthood authority, begins grooming them (p. 11).

Escalation of Abuse: P.E. invites the boys to sleep over at the mission home when his wife is absent, initiating sexual assaults. These include kissing, digital penetration, oral sex, and anal rape, occurring repeatedly over years. P.E. allegedly alternates between the boys, using his ecclesiastical authority and their underprivileged background to coerce compliance (p. 12).

International Trafficking: P.E. allegedly obtains church approval, facilitated by Elder Earl C. Tingey of the First Quorum of the Seventy, to take John Doe I and John Doe II from their home country (which is not identified in the lawsuit) to travel with him across missions globally. The boys are allegedly trafficked to mission homes, hotels, and other church-sanctioned locations, where the rapes continue (pp. 12-13).

Manipulation and Control: P.E. forces the boys to wear missionary tags bearing his last name, falsely presenting them as his “adopted” children, the lawsuit says. He allegedly manipulates them through religious shaming during confessions, threatens to withhold promised opportunities (e.g., U.S. student visas, BYU funding), and retaliates against them for forming relationships with women (pp. 11-12).

Church Pays, Enabling Trafficking: The church allegedly finances P.E.’s travel (with victims John Doe 1 and John Doe 2), mission home, and activities, enabling the trafficking and abuse. High-ranking leaders, including Seventies, observe the suspicious relationship but fail to intervene, despite their claimed “power of discernment,” according to the complaint (pp. 8, 13).

1992

Church Approval for alleged Trafficking: Elder Earl C. Tingey, a member of the LDS church’s First Quorum of the Seventy, allegedly gets formal authorization from Mormon church leadership in Salt Lake City for John Doe I and John Doe II to accompany P.E. to a newly formed mission, despite their underage status (p. 13).

1996

Earl Tingey is promoted to the Presidency of the Seventy, where he works until 2008. In 2001 he became the presiding president of the Seventy.

2000

Pierre Euvrard dies at age 51 after a prolonged illness, according to a message later posted by his wife to a mission alumni website.

2001

Earl Tingey becomes the presiding president of the Seventy.

2008-2011

After 18 years in the Seventy, Tingey is president of the LDS church’s Washington D.C. Temple for three years.

2013

The Sierra Vista Police Department reopens the investigation into Reeves’ abuse of Jane Doe and resubmits the case for charging (p. 10).

2014

The Cochise County Attorney’s Office responds that the statute of limitations has expired, preventing charges against Reeves. The response cites conflicting legal reasons, which plaintiffs allege reflect cultural loyalty to the Mormon church rather than legal procedure (p. 10).

2015

The Cochise County Attorney’s Office sends Jane Doe a letter repeating that the statute of limitations bars prosecution of Reeves, again citing inconsistent legal grounds (p. 10). FLOODLIT was unable to find any record of prior censure against Polley or the DA’s office.

2019

Report to Church Authorities: A member of a stake high council tells Elder Daniel P. Hall of the Third Quorum of the Seventy about the abuse of John Doe I and John Doe II, urging the church to address the wrongs, according to the lawsuit. No response is received (p. 13).

2020

More Reports: The same stake high council member allegedly alerts Elder Gary Sabin of the Area Seventy about the abuse. John Doe I also contacts Elder Matthieu Bennasar, an Area Seventy in France, informing him of P.E.’s trafficking. The church leadership in Salt Lake City fails to respond, perpetuating the cover-up, the complaint says (p. 13).

December 2020 – Lawsuit Filed: Jane Doe, John Doe I, and John Doe II file the lawsuit in Cochise County Superior Court, alleging multiple counts against the LDS Church, its corporate entities, Reeves, Staples, and others. The counts include assault and battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, premises liability, and Civil RICO, among others. The plaintiffs seek damages for severe emotional, psychological, and economic harm caused by the abuse and the church’s systemic failure to protect them and cover-up of crimes (pp. 1, 31-32).

As of the 2020 filing, Reeves lived in Maricopa County, Arizona, raising ongoing community concerns due to his criminal history and continued church involvement (p. 10).

2022

January 2022 – Lawsuit Dismissed: The three plaintiffs voluntarily dismiss their lawsuit without prejudice. Floodlit is trying to find out whether there was a settlement agreement with the Mormon church.

As of 2025, Earl Tingey is an emeritus General Authority seventy in the Mormon church.

If you knew Pierre Euvrard, Earl Tingey or other Mormon leaders mentioned in this lawsuit, please let us know.