Summary
Robert Kempton was a former Mormon stake president who was arrested in 2014 for prostitution after being caught by a police sting operation.
As a young man, Kempton served an LDS mission in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia.
Kempton was a stake president in the Tempe Arizona South Stake for a few years until January 1998.
He also was an LDS bishop in 1980 in Arizona and a bishopric counselor in 1971.
Kempton served a mission as a legal counsel for the LDS Church in Africa a few years before his arrest.
He died in 2018.
Mar. 5, 2024: This case report was updated to reflect the fact that Kempton was not arrested for underage prostitution.
Facts
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Scout leader, Stake president, Youth leader,
- During alleged crime: Unknown position,
- When accused: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Arizona,
- Victims: 1 victim,
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Born: 1942
Died: 2018 - AKA Robert G. Kempton, President Kempton
- Mission: 1962-1964 United States Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia - possibly the Eastern States mission
- Locations: Arizona,
Sources
- Ceremony unites couple,
- Tempe prostitution sting nets 16 arrests,
- accused was once a counselor in a Mormon ward bishopric,
- accused was once a Mormon bishop,
- Robert Kempton Obituary,
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1. Ceremony unites couple
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2. Tempe prostitution sting nets 16 arrests
Sixteen men were arrested at a Tempe hotel last week as part of a two-day prostitution sting and an ongoing citywide investigation into crimes related to sex trafficking, police said.
Police made the arrests on July 8 and July 9 at a hotel near the intersection of Priest Drive and Baseline Road, said Lt. Scott Smith, a spokesman for the Tempe Police Department.
Out of the 16 men arrested, 15 face charges for activities ranging from soliciting prostitution to indecent exposure, Smith said. Another suspect arrested faces drug-possession charges, according to police.
Smith said last week's bust was one of the first in a citywide crackdown aimed at targeting prostitution crimes.
"We're not going to tolerate it anymore," Smith said. "Enough is enough."
The ages of those arrested ranged from 27 to 71 years old, Smith said. They also represented a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and demographics.
Smith emphasized that prostitution is frequently coupled with sex trafficking, a trade many are forced into in their early teenage years.
Just last month, FBI agents and local police rescued 168 victims of child sex trafficking from around the country, including many who had never been reported missing, the FBI said.
In addition, 281 suspected pimps were arrested as part of the same nationwide initiative, an annual enforcement push known as Operation Cross Country.
"We're finally coming together to attack (the problem)," Smith said.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation into law in April that would add protections to victims of sex-trafficking crimes and increase penalties for "johns," or buyers, dealing with underage children.
Tempe police confirmed that most of the men arrested in last week's sting were local residents.
Smith said this initiative wasn't originally proposed to prepare for Super Bowl sex trafficking, but the Tempe department will continue to increase its focus on the issue as the event gets closer. The Super Bowl will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale in February, seven years after Glendale hosted its first bowl game that drew about 125,000 fans to the Phoenix area.
Police encourage anyone with information on prostitution-related crimes in the area to call the Tempe Police Department at 480-350-8311 or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888. Calls also can be made to Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers.
Smith advised residents to watch for increased foot-to-vehicle traffic in areas or suspicious groups of young people going into hotels or motels.
"If you're involved, be prepared to be contacted by law enforcement," Smith said. "Be prepared to be arrested. It won't be tolerated."
Eric Tucker of the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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3. accused was once a counselor in a Mormon ward bishopric
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4. accused was once a Mormon bishop
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5. Robert Kempton Obituary
Documents
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Criminal case documents
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We do not know of any related civil cases, so no related civil case documents exist. If you have information that suggests otherwise, please contact us.