was an LDS church member in California; in 1987, was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to six years in prison; was assigned to multiple trusted church positions, including Sunday school president, despite the Mormon church being aware that he had raped a teenager; LDS leaders were accused of hiding his abuse from local church members; as of 2024, lives in Grapevine, Texas

Case report

Terry Allen was a serial child sexual predator who lived in California, Connecticut and Texas.

On 1985-09-09, after moving away from Simi Valley, California, Allen was convicted of indecent exposure in Danbury, Connecticut.

In 1987, Allen was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Allen spent about three years in prison.

The local Mormon church was publicly accused of being actively engaged in a coverup of the Terry Allen sex abuse case.

He was appointed as multiple trusted positions, including Sunday School President, after the Mormon church became aware that he had raped a teenager.

Later, according to one of Allen’s victims who communicated with FLOODLIT about this case, the LDS church knew Allen had at least exposed his genitals and “played naked games” with multiple children in his LDS ward, and he was called still called to high priest group leader, stake high council, home teacher, stake public communications director. Allen held these callings prior to his prison sentence, according to the victim.

According to one of his victims, the ward members were not told of Allen’s conviction for child sex abuse.

He was excommunicated after a victim went to the police.

He was later re-baptized into the Mormon church.

Court documents and newspaper articles suggest there may have been multiple LDS victims.

Two of Allen’s alleged victims later died by suicide.

Case facts

Case timeline

  • 1943: born
    • 1980-85:
    • sexually abuses multiple children
    • Sep 9 1985:
    • Connecticut Connecticut -
    • Convicted
    • of indecent exposure
    • 1987:
    • California California -
    • Found guilty
    • of sexual abuse of a child
    • 1987:
    • California California -
    • Sentenced
    • to 6 years in prison
    • 1987:
    • California California -
    • Prison time starts
    • 2024:
    • Texas Texas -
    • Registered sex offender
    • in Grapevine, Texas
    • (source)

Case photos

Case information sources

  1. Terry George Allen
    view source details | 17 Jan 2023 | The Texas Public Sex Offender Website
  2. REEL-LIFE DRAMA
    view source details | 1 Mar 1987 | Los Angeles Times
  3. ALLEN,TERRY GEORGE
    view source details | 26 Jun 2024 | Texas Public Sex Offender Website

Case information source details

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FLOODLIT.org has a free public database of hundreds of reports about people who committed or allegedly committed sex crimes, including sexual abuse, while they were active Mormon church members. You can browse the entire database in all sorts of ways, including by LDS church position, number of victims, places where crimes took place, or criminal/civil case result.

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International map of locations where active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perpetrated or allegedly perpetrated sexual abuse or other sex crimes, or where LDS leaders failed or allegedly failed to help abuse survivors.

 

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