Summary
BREAKING NEWS – APRIL 11, 2025: The Mormon church has lost its lawsuit against two insurance companies for refusing to reimburse it for its costs in the lawsuit related to child sex abuse by Michael Jensen.
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BREAKING NEWS – MARCH 25, 2025: Massive $32 million Mormon sex abuse settlement revealed by FLOODLIT.org in this case. For the first time, the public is finding out the LDS church poured nearly $60 million to defend and settle this lawsuit.
Michael Jensen was a Mormon church member who sexually abused multiple children.
The Mormon church was accused of covering up abuse in Jensen’s case.
He was a grandson of a prominent church employee in Utah.
Press release – March 25, 2025 – FLOODLIT.org, a non-profit organization investigating sexual abuse in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has learned that the church spent nearly $60 million over five years to defend and settle a 2013 West Virginia lawsuit by child sexual abuse victims.
The church, widely known as the Mormon church, racked up $27 million in legal fees before a $32 million mid-trial settlement – the largest known payout tied to abuse within the church.
FLOODLIT.org analyzed 2,700 pages of court records to uncover why the Mormon church spent heavily on the West Virginia lawsuit, far exceeding its prior $4 million reported high for abuse cases. Spanning from 2004 to 2013, the allegations detail repeated sexual offenses against at least 20 children, enabled by church officials’ negligence and interference.
Conviction in Utah, initial abuse victims in West Virginia
In late 2004, 13-year-old Michael Jensen was arrested in Utah for sexually abusing two girls at school. Despite felony charges, he pleaded to misdemeanors, allegedly aided by his grandfather, Blaine Jensen, a senior church official with ties to its presidents, who reportedly attended key proceedings that secured a lenient probation and a sexual appropriateness class.
Jensen’s church bishop was in the courtroom and aware of the charges. In a sexual behavior risk assessment submitted to the court, a psychologist warned that Jensen would reoffend if given the opportunity, but Jensen faced no stricter consequences.
After the Jensen family moved to West Virginia in 2005, Jensen’s mother frequently arranged for him to babysit for other Mormon families.
From 2007 to 2011, Jensen allegedly raped or molested at least 14 children, aged 2 to 12, in Mormon homes. During much of that time, Jensen’s mother was a ward Relief Society president, and his father was a stake high council member.
Despite an alleged stake high council meeting in 2006 or 2007 about Jensen’s behavior, church leaders took no significant action. Multiple bishops allegedly dismissed complaints or denied knowledge, even when confronted by parents.
Church officials permitted Jensen to give the sacrament, serve as a bishop’s assistant, teach young children in Primary, and begin a church mission, despite being kicked out of his family’s home for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old sibling, the lawsuit said.
In 2010, Jensen’s parents banned him from their home, allowing him to stay in a tent in their backyard. Another bishop in the stake gave Jensen keys to a church building so he could sleep inside, while allegedly knowing he had been tried out of state for assault.
Jensen was approved in June 2011 for a church mission to Arizona, and became a full-time missionary later that year.
A bishop’s alleged call to the Mormon abuse “help line”
In January 2012, two of Jensen’s victims told their mother he had abused them in 2007, and she reported the abuse to the West Virginia State Police. The church sent Jensen home within about a week, but church officials did not report Jensen’s abuse to West Virginia authorities as required by law, the complaint said.
Instead, a bishop allegedly told stake president Steven Grow he had called the church’s abuse help line to consult with Church officials in Utah about the police investigation.
According to the lawsuit, Jensen fabricated a story that he returned early from his mission due to a bicycle accident, and Grow did nothing to correct the fabrication.
Jensen’s father was deployed when Jensen returned home, and because his mother did not want him living at home without his father there, a stake high council member agreed to let Jensen live with him and his wife, the suit said.
Stake president allegedly called abuser a “good role model”
Grow allegedly encouraged a Mormon family with young children and a teenage son to allow Jensen to live in their home, saying Jensen was a “good guy” and that he would be a “good role model” for their teenager. At the time, Stake President Grow was allegedly “counseling” Jensen on a regular basis.
Between May and August 2012, Jensen lived with that family and assaulted three children aged 6, 9, and 12, according to the suit.
In October 2012, Jensen was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse by a custodian. The charges related to his abuse of two young children in November 2007.
In February 2013, after a two-day jury trial, Jensen was found guilty of two counts of sexual abuse by a custodian and one count of first-degree sexual assault. He was sentenced to 35 to 75 years in prison.
That September, six families sued the church and local leaders for negligence and conspiracy. After a grueling five-year legal process that reached the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, a $32 million settlement released the defendants from all claims. 12,000 pages of documents were sealed.
Mormon church sued its insurance companies
In 2021, the church sued two insurance companies who refused to reimburse its defense and settlement costs in the West Virginia case.
The church’s law firm, Kirton McConkie, said “public disclosure of the settlement amounts or terms […] would cause severe and irreparable harm to the church and its financial interests.”
In seeking reimbursement for all payouts beyond a $15 million self-insured limit, the church cited at least 378 settlement payments it made for sexual abuse or other injuries that allegedly occurred from 2006 to 2012.
If it won, the church stood to get up to about $90 million from the two insurers: $27-plus million in defense costs from each, and nearly $36 million in combined settlement reimbursements.
The result of that litigation remains unclear. The docket has not been updated since an August 2023 ruling to seal a hearing set to address motions for summary judgment.
Shine a light on sex abuse in the Mormon church
The Mormon church has not published a list of known sex offenders in its ranks.
Since its launch in 2022, FLOODLIT.org has documented over 4,050 abuse reports within the church, including nearly $51 million in settlements in 15 cases. 11 other cases involve secret settlement amounts.
In 2024, FLOODLIT broke the story when roughly 100 sexual abuse survivors filed lawsuits against the LDS church in California. Nearly all are still ongoing.
Please donate to support FLOODLIT.org’s investigative reporting.
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Donate »Facts
Alleged coverup-
LDS church payment: $32,000,000
- Criminal: Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, Registered sex offender,
- Civil: Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Positions: Missionary,
- During crime: Unknown position,
- When accused: Unknown position,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Utah, West Virginia,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2013,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Victim's home, Victim's school,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
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Born: 1991
- AKA Michael Jensen, Chris Jensen
- Mission: 2011-2012 United States Unknown (Arizona)
- Places: Arizona, Utah, West Virginia,
Sources
- Trial against LDS Church in West Virginia begins,
- Man testifies in suit alleging Mormons overlooked sex abuse,
- Settlement reached in Mormon church case,
- 291: "Your Children Are Not Safe!": Alice Koivu & Kelly Plante,
- source 5,
- Latter-day Saint spokesman denounces news story about church’s sexual abuse response,
- $59 million, five years: what Mormon officials spent to stop a sex abuse lawsuit,
- Timeline: LDS church sued insurers to collect $90 million, after settling 5-year-long child sex abuse suit,
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1. Trial against LDS Church in West Virginia begins
MARTINSBURG, West Virginia — Five men and one woman were selected Thursday morning to hear a case accusing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and local church officials of covering up allegations that Michael Jensen sexually abused several children over a period of more than five years.
Jury selection began Thursday morning at the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department due to the size of the jury pool. Around 100 potential jurors were pulled for the civil case due to the nature of the case and the estimation that the trial could last six to eight weeks.
An order was signed by 23rd Judicial Court Judge Christopher C. Wilkes on Tuesday to name the Sheriff’s Department as an annex of the courthouse to allow the jury selection to take place there. Six individuals and four alternates were sworn in at 12:50 p.m. Thursday, quicker than anticipated, Wilkes said.
The case against the church was initially investigated after Jensen, now 26, was found guilty and sentenced on July 29, 2013, to 35 to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing two minors — ages 4 and 3 at the time of the abuse.
The LDS Church has denied the claims, and all attempts to reach a settlement have been unsuccessful, according to the court.
On Thursday afternoon, court proceeded with the jury hearing opening statements from the plaintiffs on behalf of the nine families in the suit and from the defendants on behalf of the church, Jensen’s parents, Chris and Sandra Lee, and church officials, Steven Grow and Don Fishel.
The jury was instructed ultimately to make its decision based upon the evidence including witness testimony, exhibits and facts that both parties have agreed on. The opening statements are meant to tell the jurors what they will be hearing in the case.
The plaintiffs alleged that the church had been repeatedly made aware of and had knowledge of abuse Jensen was convicted of and other alleged incidents, and “did nothing to warn and protect” their children.
The beginning of the alleged abuse dates back to 2004 in Provo. The plaintiffs took the jury through a timeline of events beginning in 2004 during which the alleged abuse occurred. At the age of 13, Jensen was arrested at his middle school and charged with two felony counts of sexual abuse for pinning two 12- and 13-year-old females against a wall and fondling them inappropriately and without consent, according to court documents.
During opening statements, the plaintiffs also alleged that Jensen’s grandfather, an LDS Church leader in Utah, influenced Jensen’s criminal hearing in that case, which resulted in the charges being reduced to two misdemeanor counts of lewdness. They allege that Jensen’s grandfather was present for Jensen’s court proceedings.
The defense denied those claims in their opening statements saying his name did not appear on the list of those who attended and there is no evidence that he had any influence.
Plaintiffs alleged the church knew a sexual behavior risk assessment was done on Jensen and indicated that he was highly likely to reoffend, however, the defense said the church was legally unable to view the report.
In the summer of 2005, the Jensens moved to Martinsburg, according to opening statements, and both of Jensen’s parents accepted leadership roles in the church. While maintaining a role as church leader, Jensen’s mother allegedly recommended Jensen as a babysitter for families with young children within the church in 2007, according to the suit.
According to the defense, the church is not responsible for Michael Jensen, does not control its members’ lives and does not run a babysitting service. The defense also stated that the abuse never occurred at the church or at a church function.
The lawsuit alleges no one in the church in Martinsburg nor his family disclosed Jensen’s previous sex offenses, which allowed the abuse to occur. In April and June of 2007, Jensen was accused of forcing a 4-year-old girl to touch him inappropriately and fondling a 14-year-old girl outside of a movie theater. Jensen’s mother allegedly knew about the movie theater incident and asked the girl if she was OK and if there was “a problem.”
Following the movie theater incident, Jensen’s mother once again recommended Jensen as a babysitter for young children without disclosing his prior sexual convictions or other allegations. The two children assaulted in 2007 later reported the sexual abuse to their parents, and it resulted in Jensen’s subsequent conviction and sentence.
In 2008, Jensen allegedly abused three more children under the age of 8, and the parents of the children confronted Jensen’s parents. Jensen’s mother allegedly told the child victim to “just ignore it.” Jensen’s father allegedly appeared at the family’s home to aggressively deny the abuse as well.
The family allegedly told the former church bishop about the abuse, and he said he spoke to Jensen and did not believe Jensen had abused the minor. The former bishop later denied having a conversation about Jensen’s alleged abuse, and he promoted Jensen in church leadership.
Jensen allegedly assaulted a family member in 2010, and the family held a meeting with Bishop Chris Vincent about the incident. Vincent said he told no one else in the church about the alleged instances of abuse, and he gave Jensen keys to the church so he had a place to sleep.
Jensen continued to hold esteem within the church, and was on a church mission in June 2011 when the parents of two victims reported Jensen to the West Virginia State Police.
The defense told the jury that the church cooperated by flying Jensen back to West Virginia early from his mission.
In addition, the defense said in its opening statements that abuse cannot be tolerated in any form as written in the church’s handbook of instructions. The defense also said the church is a leader in child abuse prevention among religious organizations and took appropriate actions in 2012 when it was made aware of the abuse claims.
The attorney representing Chris and Sandra Lee Jensen said any mistakes they made with Michael were made as his parents and not as church leaders. The Jensens allegedly no longer held their roles when made aware of the abuse.
The defense closed by saying Michael Jensen fooled everyone, and repeatedly lied to church officials.
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2. Man testifies in suit alleging Mormons overlooked sex abuse
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3. Settlement reached in Mormon church case
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4. 291: "Your Children Are Not Safe!": Alice Koivu & Kelly Plante
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5. source 5
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from The Journal on 2018-07-25:
"Settlement reached in Mormon church case
By Clarissa Cottrill Jul 25, 2018
MARTINSBURG—Parties in the civil lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in the Berkeley County Judicial Center Wednesday for a closed hearing regarding a settlement in the case.
After nearly two and a half months, parties reached a settlement in the case on March 30, according to 23rd Judicial Circuit Court Judge Christopher C. Wilkes, who had presided over the jury trial since it began Jan. 18.
However, the settlement was not subject to public disclosure and will remain closed.
The plaintiffs, the Church defendants, defendants Chris Jensen and Sandralee Jensen and an unnamed defendant filed a joint motion asking the court to close the courtroom to the public for Wednesday’s settlement hearing, according to Berkeley County Circuit Court records. The motion, filed on Monday morning, also asked that the transcript from the hearing to be closed as well.
“The hearing, by necessity, will involve the details of the proposed settlement, which are confidential under the parties’ agreement,” the motion said. “Further, the Guardian Ad Litem will need to address his evaluation of the settlement and, by necessity, the confidential terms.”
The court granted the motion Monday afternoon “upon due consideration and for good cause shown,” the order filed in circuit court said.
The trial will remain under gag order, as requested by the parties, until further order of the court. Due to the court-ordered gag order, lawyers and officials involved are barred from discussing this case outside of the court. The order helps protect the identities and privacy of the minors and victims, as well as maintain the integrity of the settlement until all agreements are resolved.
In January, the Berkeley County jury was selected to hear the accusations and evidence against The Church and local church officials for allegedly covering up allegations that the son of local church officials sexually abused several children over the course of more than five years.
The church was initially investigated after Christopher Michael Jensen, of Martinsburg, was found guilty and sentenced on July 29, 2013, to 35 to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing two minors.
Filed in 2013, the lawsuit against the church accused the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and church leaders of actively covering up the abuse and assisting Jensen in committing further acts by enabling him to babysit for and live with other church families with young children.
The children in the lawsuit were between the ages of 3 and 12 when they say they were sexually abused by Jensen. Six families, with a total of nine children, filed the suit.
Defendants in the case included: the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the church; Don Fishel, who was the bishop of the Hedgesville Ward for the Martinsburg stake of the church between 2007-13 and a former member of the Stake High Council for Martinsburg; Steven Grow, stake president in Martinsburg; Michael Jensen, who was a member and elder of the Hedgesville Ward of the church; Chris Jensen, Michael Jensen’s father and a high priest and member of the Stake High Council for Martinsburg between 2007-10; Sandra Lee Jensen, Jensen’s mother and a member of the Hedgesville Ward and Relief Society president for the church in Martinsburg between 2006-09; and an unnamed individual.
After weeks of hearing testimony and listening to dispositions taken in the case, on March 23, Carl Kravitz, an attorney for the plaintiffs, presented to the court that the attorneys had agreed on a resolution for four kids claims.
Prior to the announcement of the resolution, the court considered a mistrial in the case. The plaintiff and defense attorneys discussed a motion filed by the defense for a mistrial in the case due to alleged misconduct by a witness, which was dropped."
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6. Latter-day Saint spokesman denounces news story about church’s sexual abuse response
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7. $59 million, five years: what Mormon officials spent to stop a sex abuse lawsuit
[full text at article]
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8. Timeline: LDS church sued insurers to collect $90 million, after settling 5-year-long child sex abuse suit
[full text at article]
Documents
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Criminal case documents
FLOODLIT does not have a copy of a related probable cause affidavit. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Civil case documents
FLOODLIT has a copy of a related civil complaint, but it is not currently available for download. Please check back soon or contact us to request an copy.Other documents
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Decision – 2025 – Mormon church loses lawsuit against insurance companies over sex abuse settlements
Case title: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA; and Ace Property and Casualty Insurance Co.
Case number: 2:21-cv-00582-TC
Court: United States District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division
Date filed: 2025-04-03
Free download
Videos
- Video title: Mormon Congregation Assaults & Drowns Out Mothers Warning Them That Church Leaders Enable Pedophiles - NewNameNoah - 2019-05-11
- Video description: "MARTINSBURG, WV. - Two mothers, whose children had been molested by a pedophile that leaders of a Mormon congregation in West Virginia had protected and lied for, took matters into their own hands when they stood up during a testimony meeting this past Sunday [May 5, 2019] and warned the congregation that their church leaders had harbored a pedophile and that their children were not safe. "