Stephen Anderson Wold

Case report

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Stephen Wold was a Mormon church member in Utah. He was convicted of child sexual abuse.

During his criminal trial, Wold was able to hold LDS church callings and priesthood duties, according to a victim who asked FLOODLIT not to identify her by name. She said Wold was a member of the same LDS stake as the victims during the trial, and would park his car next to theirs.

Wold’s bishop, home teacher, and the ward relief society president attended the trial in his support. Meanwhile, the victim said, her bishop refused to recommend her to serve a full-time LDS mission because of the ongoing trial.

At Wold’s sentencing, he had 53 letters of support for a reduced sentencing, according to the victim. FLOODLIT obtained some of those letters, including ones written by a former LDS bishop and a former LDS stake president.

In those letters, the supporters noted Wold’s status as an Eagle scout, a BYU graduate, a temple married Latter-day Saint. One called him a “worthy” LDS priesthood holder.

The victim said Wold took the plea bargain offered by the prosecution because he was caught soliciting a person online who he thought was a 13-year old-boy, who was actually an undercover cop.

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Wold once worked as a shuttle driver at the LDS Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah. This may have been a BYU employee position.

Wold served an LDS mission to Panama in 2007-2009.

Wold’s abuse for which he was convicted took place the year after he returned home from his Mormon church mission to Panama.

In 2010, Wold sexually molested a 10-year-old girl while babysitting her at his home in Highland, Utah.

Wold married in the Seattle Temple in June 2014. Around that time, he graduated from Brigham Young University – Provo (BYU) with a bachelor of science degree.

In 2015, Wold was charged with two felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. He pleaded not guilty.

In 2017, Wold was found guilty of one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in a two-day jury trial and sentenced to 15 years to life in the Utah State Prison.

As of March 2023, Wold is in the Utah State prison.

The victim said Wold often spent time alone at the Lazer tag area located at the Trafalga in Lehi, Utah, prior to his criminal prosecution. It is possible that he may have encountered other potential victims there.