Dylan Kevin Whiting

East Idaho News article:

"Latter-day Saint bishop facing sexual abuse charges removed from post
Idaho Statesman logo
Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman
Crime Watch Posted: Sep 15, 2021, 7:23 pm  | Updated: Sep 15, 2021, 7:32 pm
moroni on meridian temple statesman
A gold-leafed statue of the Angel Moroni is placed atop The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Meridian in July 2016. A bishop of a church ward in Nampa has been removed from his position after child sexual abuse allegations surfaced. | Kyle Green, Idaho Statesman file photo

(Idaho Statesman) — A bishop of Nampa’s 30th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was removed from his post after allegations that he sexually abused two minors. He has since been charged with two counts of lewd conduct with a child and two counts of child sexual abuse, according to court records.

Dylan Kevin Whiting, 33, of Nampa, served as a lay bishop in the LDS church from December 2019 until January 2021, when he was removed from his position after the church became aware of allegations against him, according to a church spokesperson. Nampa’s 30th Ward is within the Nampa Idaho East Stake, which is a larger district made up of multiple wards.

According to an affidavit from the Nampa Police Department, the two individuals in Whiting’s case are known to him personally rather than through his church involvement. The abuse allegedly occurred between 2011 and 2020.

Whiting has been charged with touching two underage girls in a sexual manner, according to a criminal complaint. Lewd conduct with a minor is punishable by up to life in prison, while child sexual abuse is punishable by up to 25 years.

In the LDS church, a bishop is an unpaid leader of a local congregation — called a ward — who “oversees the spiritual and social needs of their ward members,” according to the church’s website. Bishops usually serve for around five years, and are assisted by two counselors. All three individuals are together called the bishopric.

“Upon learning of these allegations in early January, Church officials immediately took steps to remove this individual from his lay leadership position in the Church,” Sam Penrod, a spokesperson for the church in Salt Lake City, said in a statement emailed to the Idaho Statesman. “Abuse of any kind is not tolerated in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anyone who engages in such behavior is rightfully subject to criminal prosecution and also faces discipline from the church, including loss of church membership.”

The church declined to say whether Whiting is still a member, the Statesman reports.

Whiting was arraigned in Canyon County District Court on the four felony charges on April 12. On April 15, he posted $100,000 bail. On June 28 he pleaded not guilty to all four charges, and the case was ordered to mediation on Sept. 3, according to court records. A no-contact order with the two individuals is active while the case is ongoing, or until 2023.

Attempts to reach Whiting by email and phone were unsuccessful.

In legal mediation, a neutral arbiter — a judge — assists those involved in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. Participating in mediation is voluntary, and can be used to resolve “some or all” of a case’s issues, according to the Idaho Supreme Court. Mediations are also confidential, and the arbiters involved do not preside over any future proceedings related to the case.

The mediation in this case is set for Sept. 22."

East Idaho News article:

"Former LDS bishop in Nampa pleading guilty to one count of child sexual abuse
Idaho Statesman logo
Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman
Idaho Posted: Dec 1, 2021, 11:50 am

NAMPA (Idaho Statesman) — A former Nampa bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has entered into a plea agreement after being charged with four sex crimes involving two minors, and he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in January.

The plea agreement was drafted during mediation between the prosecution and defendant Dylan Kevin Whiting, 33, and it was presented at a hearing in 3rd District Court in Canyon County on Nov. 3, according to records obtained by the Idaho Statesman. Whiting is pleading guilty to one count of child sexual abuse — with a sentence of three years fixed and seven years indeterminate, meaning Whiting would be eligible for parole after 36 months.

Whiting also would serve five years of probation and have a five-year no-contact order with the two girls. After completing his sentence, the prosecution would not resist the defendant’s efforts to be removed from the sex offender registry.

Under the deal in place, the judge is bound by the agreed-upon sentence if the guilty plea is accepted. However, the judge has the ability to reject the sentence as insufficient, which would allow Whiting to withdraw his plea at the sentencing hearing on Jan. 24.

Whiting was a lay bishop of Nampa’s 30th Ward from December 2019 until January 2021, when the LDS church removed him from his post after becoming aware of allegations against him, according to a church spokesperson. Nampa’s 30th Ward is within the Nampa Idaho East Stake, which includes multiple wards.

RELATED | Latter-day Saint bishop facing sexual abuse charges removed from post

Whiting was initially charged with two counts of lewd conduct with a child and two counts of child sexual abuse, according to a criminal complaint. The allegations involve two underage girls known to Whiting personally rather than through the church, according to an affidavit from the Nampa Police Department.

Whiting was arraigned on the four felony charges on April 12, and on June 28 he pleaded not guilty, according to court records. Conviction of lewd conduct with a minor is punishable by up to life in prison, and child sexual abuse may be punished by up to 25 years in prison.

Earlier this month, Whiting agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of child sexual abuse, with the other three counts dismissed as part of the agreement.

Third District Judge Gene Petty ordered a presentencing investigation and a psychosexual evaluation prior to the sentencing hearing. Those evaluations can affect the sentencing, according to a guilty plea advisory in the case.

Whiting has been released on a bond of $100,000, and a GPS ankle monitor was removed at his Nov. 3 hearing.

As a lay bishop in Nampa, Whiting was an unpaid leader of his ward charged with overseeing spiritual and social needs among members, according to the church’s website. Bishops usually serve for around five years, with the assistance of two counselors.

“Upon learning of these allegations in early January, Church officials immediately took steps to remove this individual from his lay leadership position,” Sam Penrod, a spokesperson for the church in Salt Lake City, said in a statement emailed to the Statesman in September. “Abuse of any kind is not tolerated in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anyone who engages in such behavior is rightfully subject to criminal prosecution and also faces discipline from the Church, including loss of Church membership.”

Kolby, who was a member of Whiting's LDS ward when Whiting was released as bishop due to the abuse charges, shares a letter that he and his wife Cami sent to a number of LDS church leaders, including the president of the church, Russell M. Nelson. He prefaces the letter as follows:

"Since the release of our interviews with John Dehlin (episodes 1550 and 1551) where we discussed the systematic problems the Church has with handling leaders that sexually abuse children, my wife and I have heard from hundreds--if not thousands--of people who were in very similar situations but too afraid to speak out.

We know from history that the Church only brings about any change when there is pressure applied. After working through the policy changes (with many of the people who have reached out) we believe are the bare minimum, we've drafted and sent copies of the following letter to President Nelson, a Presidency member in the 70, our Stake President, and our current bishop:"

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Here is the text of that letter:

"RE: Child Sexual Abuse Policy Changes

Dear President Nelson,

My wife, Cami, and I are members of the Nampa 30th Ward in the Nampa Idaho East Stake. Last year, our Bishop, Dylan Whiting, was released and charged with child sex abuse. Our ward and stake leaders—following the direction of the Church’s attorneys—did not disclose this information to the membership of our ward and stake until after a brave member took it upon himself to do so.

Even after this disclosure happened, we were horrified as we witnessed otherwise good members justify, minimize, and defend Dylan Whiting’s sexual abuse based upon his previous Church service. This included several statements over the pulpit from members, including our current Bishop, extolling Dylan Whiting after he had been charged with the sexual abuse of children. In the face of silence (or justification) from ward and stake leaders, the common consensus in our ward was that his behavior was “not that big of a deal.” This certainly did not clearly send the message found in the current Church Handbook that “abuse cannot be tolerated in any form.”

We have discussed this situation with our current Bishop, our Stake President, and communicated our feelings to our Area Authority and now want to reach out to you directly. Ultimately these problems can only be fixed by you. I want to thank our stake presidency for their willingness to work with us, and their humility in acknowledging the difficulties the Church’s current policies regarding child sexual abuse have caused in our area. We will also send copies of this letter and suggested policy changes to these local leaders as well.

We encourage you, the leaders of this Church, to prayerfully consider the following common-sense policy change suggestions regarding reports and allegations of sexual abuse. We realize the weight of our request, but bring it because we do not feel that the current policies adequately protect the children in our wards and stakes. Additionally, these changes would ensure the Church protects and reflects the good name of Jesus Christ who placed protection of his little ones above all else.

1. When any Church leader is charged with child sex abuse crimes, the Church must release the leader and notify the parents of any children that this leader has had stewardship over. This notification need only include the charges that have been filed to protect the identities of victims but also give parents the ability to consult with their kids regarding any potential further abuse or inappropriate behaviors from this leader. This notification should be provided in writing to ensure that individuals not in attendance on any particular day have received this information.

2. Regardless of any exemption from mandatory reporting laws, the Church will report instances of abuse to the appropriate legal authorities and cease trying to handle these matters “in house.” Exemptions from mandatory reporting laws do not silence Church leaders (even though we have been told they do incorrectly multiple times), they simply provide an exemption from the requirement to report. In other words, laws that excuse clergy from the requirement to report alone do not mean the clergy members cannot speak to officials. The Church will cease doing the minimal amount required by the law to protect children facing abuse.

3. Yearly training for all adults regarding the signs of child sex abuse, grooming behaviors, and how to deal with survivors of sexual abuse. This should include the professional expertise of the Church’s counselors and awareness of the statistics of how common sexual abuse is and ways to guard against it. The Church should offer professional expertise through counselors (not just priesthood leaders) for parents and youth if they need help starting the discussion.

There are additional changes we would suggest, but we believe these three suggested changes represent the most pressing needs to protect children in accordance with Christ’s direction. We hope that you will take our concerns seriously and we would welcome any further discussion with you. We would also note the devastating effects that not implementing these changes has upon not only children, but adults who have dedicated their lives to this Church. My wife and I have been heartbroken as we have distanced ourselves from the Church after seeing how little regard the current policies show for the protection of our children and youth. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with you further."

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Kolby then shared the following:

"For those who agree with us that the Church has a serious problem and want to help apply that pressure--I've created the attached "Fill-in" version of these same policy changes that allow for other people to tell their story while asking for these same changes. Please help the First Presidency see that these changes are desperately needed by telling them the stories you've told us.

There will doubtless be many that say "the Church won't change--why are you doing this?" I get that sentiment, because I do not think the Church will change simply as a result of these letters. But I want to try and make things better for my family that remains in the Church and to protect the kids who don't have a say in being raised there, even if that no longer applies to me or my kids. So if you think we're misguided at trying, there's no requirement to be critical--this is just for those who agree with our desire to start the ball rolling on change.

Thanks,

Fill-In Letter Link"

Here is the link to an editable fill-in letter, originally provided by Kolby:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ewPUa_XzmizjwP1g6EoGOxg6I234b4UN/edit