Eustacio Munioz: Mormon Sexual Abuse Case

ward religious and missionary class leader; alleged to have sexually assaulted a 14 year old boy; the victim, as an adult, filed a lawsuit against the LDS church and won
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Munioz, Eustacio
Alias(es): n/a
Born: 1946
Gender: Male

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Case summary

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LDS Eustacio Munioz was alleged to have sexually assaulted a 14 year old boy. The victim, now an adult, filed a lawsuit against the COP and won the case. The church appealed and that appeal can be found in this document on October 10, 2013.

“In his original petition” to the court, Doe asserted that Eustacio Munioz sexually assaulted him on numerous occasions from 2002, when he was fourteen years old, through 2009, when he was twenty-one. Doe alleged that Munioz committed an intentional tort and that the Church was vicariously liability for the acts of Munioz, who Doe claimed was the

Church’s employee or agent at that time. Doe alleged that the Church was directly liable for, among other things, negligently hiring, training, retaining, and supervising Munioz when they knew or should have known of his dangerous propensities. Doe also claimed in his first amended petition that Munioz coerced and threatened him with reports of criminal prosecution if he reported the assaults or otherwise made a claim.”

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Sources

courtlistener (archive) - -

LDS/Mormon church membership history

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Other leader

Start date:
End date:
Country: United States
State: Alabama
Stake:
Ward:
Held at the time of the alleged crime(s)? no
Held at the time of being publicly accused or arrested? no

LDS 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.

LDS church positions ever held by the accused: Other leader

LDS church positions held by the accused at the time of the alleged crime(s):

LDS church positions held by the accused at the time of being publicly accused:

Alleged crime(s)

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Alleged victim(s)

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Number of alleged victim(s) - note if approximate: 3
Average age of alleged victim(s) at time of alleged crime(s):

Alleged victim information

Gender of alleged victim: male
Age of alleged victim at time of alleged crime(s): minor

Sources

courtlistener (archive)

Notes about alleged victim(s):

Arrest(s)

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Arrest information

Arrest date: October 2011
Country: United States
State: Texas
City/area: Brownsville

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.

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Case updates

December 4, 2022: Added details, links

December 4, 2022: Two more people have accused a man — reportedly a church youth group leader — of sexual assault, Brownsville Police spokesman Jose Trevino said.Eustacio Munioz, 65, also known as Horacio Muniz, was arrested last week and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Trevino said at the time that a man, now 22, filed a report that alleged that Munioz began sexually assaulting him in 2003 when he was a minor.Munioz was in charge of religious and missionary classes at a local Mormon church, according to the affidavit for warrant of arrest.Trevino said police are still investigating the allegations of the two additional complainants and declined to release information about the cases. Munioz is not facing any new charges."Police believe there are more victims, and are asking anyone with information to please come forward," Trevino said last week.The first man who came forward told police he was 7 years old when he met Munioz at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 114 E. Price Road, the affidavit said. The man said Munioz first abused him at a room in the church when he was 14 years old. The warrant said Munioz gave him $5 and told him not to tell anyone.The man told police the abuse continued until he was 20 years old, according to the affidavit. Munioz threatened to report that the alleged victim was in the country illegally if he didn't cooperate, the document said.A spokesman for the Mormon church in Salt Lake City said in a statement that church leaders are still trying to learn about the reports."At this point, very little is known about this case, including whether this individual was a member of the church. We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement officials as they investigate this matter," said Eric Hawkins, a media relations official for the church.Hawkins said the church has zero tolerance for abuse."[The church] works diligently to prevent abuse and provide support and assistance to victims of abuse," he said.

Sources

source 1 (archive)

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Case Overview

Personal information

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Case summary

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LDS/Mormon church membership history

Other leader

LDS mission information

LDS temple marriage information

Education

Work history

Alleged crime(s)

Alleged victim(s)

Alleged victim information

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Arrest(s)

Arrest information

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Criminal charge(s)

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Other court cases

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