was an LDS church member; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse; sentenced to 30 years in prison
Details

Personal information

  • Nelson, Steve
  • Gender: Male

Case summary

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01/30/80 Boise, Idaho

LDS Steve Nelson “sexually abused as many as four children over a 30-year period. In the
1980s Nelson confessed to molesting one child to LDS officials, who learned of the crime
from the victim but did not report it.

More than 20 years later, Nelson pleaded guilty to a charge of lewd conduct. In 2009, the
woman he had abused as a pre-teenager in the 1980s caught him molesting a 3-year-old
girl, according to court records.

Before sending Nelson to 30 years in prison, 4th District Judge Darla Williamson told him: “1
just don’t understand … why the church didn’t require that law enforcement be involved with
you. Possibly at that point, if you had been charged, we would have at least one less
victim.”

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Sources
  1. source 1 (archive) - -

LDS/Mormon church membership history

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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:
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:
  • Average age of alleged victim(s) at time of alleged crime(s):

Arrest(s)

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Criminal charge(s)

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Criminal verdict(s)

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Criminal sentence

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Prison time

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Other court cases

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LDS church response(s)

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  • 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.

View all Mormon sexual abuse settlements

 

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