Details
Welcome to our database and map of Mormon sex abuse cases. Donate to our project and help us cover research costs!

Case summary
Add info | Back to topIn 2017, Erik Hughes, a former LDS Bishop, entered a guilty plea for two second-degree felonies for forcible sexual abuse and one third-degree felony for tampering with a witness. There were three victims that came forward against this abuser.
from Gephardt Daily:
Former LDS bishop from Mapleton jailed on 20-plus counts of child abuse
“MAPLETON, Utah, June 23, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A former bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been booked into the Utah County Jail on two dozen felony charges involving the alleged sexual abuse of two minors.
Erik Wayne Hughes, 51, was arrested Wednesday night by Mapleton police.
He’s now being held on 20 counts of forcible sexual abuse, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of dealing in harmful materials to a minor and one count of witness tampering.
Mapleton police investigators said the charges were prompted by the recent admissions of two adult men, ages 18 and 21, who said they’d been molested by Hughes over the course of a few years when he was their LDS bishop.
Both men, then juveniles, said some of the encounters took place after they had been drugged by Hughes — twice in the form of spiked beverages, twice more with altered pills.
In one of the alleged dopings, police said Hughes provided one of the teens with a fake melatonin tablet to help him sleep. The victim said he awoke to find Hughes touching him in a sexual manner.
Eric Hawkins, spokesperson for the LDS Church released the following prepared statement to Gephardt Daily:
“There is zero tolerance for abuse of any kind in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When local leaders first learned about this matter, they immediately reported it to law enforcement. We have supported and been cooperated fully with the law enforcement investigation. This individual has been removed from any position within the church.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims. We will continue to reach out to them and their families to provide support and love.”
Hughes’ case has been filed in 4th District Court in Provo.
He is currently being held on a $25,000 cash-only bail.”
Alleged victims: 3 underage males
Verdict: guilty plea for two second-degree felonies for forcible sexual abuse and one third-degree felony for tampering with a witness
Sentence: October 2017 – one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for the two forcible sexual abuse charges. He was sentenced to at least five years in prison for tampering with a witness.
Support FLOODLIT.org
Donate to help FLOODLIT cover our research expenses, including obtaining court records and police documents.
Sources
- source 1 (archive) - -
- source 2 (archive) - -
- source 3 (archive) - -
- source 4 (archive) - -
- source 5 (archive) - -
- source 6 (archive) - -
- source 7 (archive) - -
- Former Mapleton Mormon bishop accused of drugging, abusing 2 teens - KSL - 2017-06-23 (archive) - -
- When Privilege Protects Atrocity - Daily Utah Chronicle - 2017-06-29 (archive) - -
- Former LDS bishop, accused of teen sex abuse, described as good neighbor, husband, father - KUTV - 2017-06-23 (archive) - -
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.