Timur Van Dykes

Case Summary

This case arose in 1980 in Oregon.

LDS church member Timur Dykes allegedly molested many children.

“Timur Dykes continued to associate with the victim’s Scout troop after Dykes admitted to a bishop for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints early in 1983 that he had molested 17 Boy Scouts.”

In the BSA Files there is a letter dated November 11,1 986 to BSA from attorney John J. Higgins that states in part:

“We have been retained to represent the interests of several boys who were sexually
abused by an official of the Boy Scout Troop to which they belonged here in Portland. In
November 21, 1986 a handwritten note retained in the confidential files from BSA official
reads, “Received a letter from attorney Higgens… is representing 2 families (names not
given) for injuries resulting from the sexual molestation of 4 or 5 boys in Troop 719 by Assist
SM Timur Van Dykes. Mr. Dykes is now in jail. Troop 710 is sponsored by the 10th Ward of
the LDS Church.” The BSA placed Timur Van Dykes on the ineligible confidential file on
March 16, 1987. In 1987 the LDS Church is sued by three (of the above) plaintiffs. “The
Church also is accused of professional negligence in attempting to counsel the three
plaintiffs.” “The complaints allege that the church sponsored the Scout troop and instructed
boys to participate in the troop and to obey its leader.”

2007 another lawsuit is filed, “The six men, who filed a new lawsuit in Oregon. …allege that
Timur Dykes, a former spiritual leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
and former scout leader, repeatedly abused them when they were boys.” “Dykes was
allowed to continue in positions of trust and continue to abuse boys for four or five years
after he was first arrested.” “Both the Mormon Church and Boy Scouts were well aware by
at least the 1960s that they had a serious, institution-wide infestation of child abuse,
stretching across the country,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney Kelly Clark. “They did not clear it
up.”

“Two brothers filed a $6.5 million lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and the Boy Scouts of America on Monday, alleging they were sexually abused as
children in the 1980s by a LDS “home teacher” who was also a Boy Scout leader.” “It also
claims the church failed to report an abuse allegation against a third brother that could have
led authorities to other victims — a claim the church denied. Dykes was convicted of child
sexual abuse “on several different occasions,” according to the lawsuit filed by Portland
attorney Kelly Clark, who has represented victims of alleged abuse by Roman Catholic
priests. Clark provided a list indicating Dykes had been convicted in 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991
and 1994. Dykes declined to confirm those convictions. But he said he was in prison from
1993 to 2002. He declined further comment but said “somebody has made a mistake,” a

reference to the lawsuit.Dykes was convicted in 1994 in Multnomah County on multiple
counts of sodomy and sexual abuse, according to court records. He is on probation until
2013, said Robb Freda-Cowie, spokesman for the county Department of Community
Justice.”

LDS Church, Scouts face sex-abuse suit by William McCall Associated Press

“From at least the 1960s if not earlier, LDS Defendants knew that LDS callings and
assignments were being used by pedophiles to victimize children and that LDS Defendants
had an institution-wide child abuse problem. Despite this knowledge, LDS Defendants did
not implement adequate child sex abuse policies. 83. This institutional failure by LDS
Defendants was a substantial contributing factor to the abuse of Plaintiffs. LDS Defendants’
failure to implement adequate child abuse policies created a foreseeable risk of harm to the
safety of children in the care of the LDS Defendants, including these plaintiffs. 84.As a direct
and foreseeable consequence of LDS Defendants’ negligence as described above, Plaintiffs
have suffered damages as described in paragraphs. “During the time all Plaintiffs were
sexually abused by Dykes, LDS Defendants had knowledge or should have known of
Dykes’ dangerousness to children. In or about 1981 or1982, LDS Defendants discovered
that Dykes had sexually abused a minor child who was a LDS member and scout, and LDS
Defendants conducted their own investigation into the allegations.”

“In January 1983, the mother of a Scout who said he had been molested by Dykes
went to Gordon McEwen, a Mormon bishop who headed the local Scouting program, Clark
said. McEwen confronted Dykes, who confessed to abusing 17 Scouts.”