Details
Case summary
Add info | Back to topMay 5, 2000 – Utah
James Denos, a bishop in the LDS church, was “sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in October to four counts of aggravated child sexual abuse in a Utah District Court. The ruling Friday by Utah Third District Court Judge Timothy R. Hanson sentenced James Denos, 73, to a minimum 20 years in a Utah state prison for sexually abusing four of his granddaughters living in Utah. Although the charges deal only with abuses that occurred in Utah, family members say that Denos did molest the girls when they visited him in Huntington Beach. The Huntington Beach Police Department is conducting its own investigation, but authorities could not give any further details. The family has identified 17 alleged victims. Denos’ son Ray claims his father molested his first known victim 50 years ago.
“They’re mostly girls between the ages of 3 and 11 and we’re concerned because there could be a lot more victims in his church.” Gilliland said.
Denos is a retired Long Beach junior high school teacher and the former bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Westminster. “Denos abused girls in both the state of Utah and California.”
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LDS/Mormon church membership history
Add info | Back to topLDS 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.
Alleged victim(s)
Add info | Back to top- Number of alleged victim(s) - note if approximate:
- Average age of alleged victim(s) at time of alleged crime(s):
LDS church response(s)
Add info | Back to top- 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.
