James Bayless (1946 – ) was a Mormon church member in Gilbert, Arizona; pleaded guilty in 2015 to two counts of molestation of a child; as of 2024, is a registered sex offender living in Mesa, Arizona.

James Bayless was n LDS church member in Gilbert, Arizona.

Bayless was arrested and charged with three counts of molestation of a child (a second-degree felony), two counts of molestation of a child (a third-degree felony), three counts of aggravated assault (a sixth-degree felony), and one count of sexual abuse.

In October 2015, as part of a plea agreement, Bayless was convicted of two counts of molestation of a child.

A person familiar with Bayless’s case told FLOODLIT that Bayless abused many girls in the Gilbert, Arizona area. The person asked to remain anonymous.

FLOODLIT is seeking police documents in this case.

Have any info on this or other Mormon sex abuse cases? Contact us.

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Sources

  1. Offender Details James Bayless, Arizona Mesa Police Department, April 8, 2024.
  2. Offender Profile James Bayless, Offender Radar, April 8, 2024.
  3. James C Bayless - SEXUAL ABUSE - Arizona, Mugshots, May 20, 2015.
  4. Criminal Court Case Information - Case History, Maricopa County Superior Court, July 9, 2024.

  • 1. Offender Details James Bayless

    • 20240408
    • News article
    • Arizona Mesa Police Department

  • 2. Offender Profile James Bayless

    • 20240408
    • News article
    • Offender Radar

  • 3. James C Bayless - SEXUAL ABUSE - Arizona

    • 20150520
    • News article
    • Mugshots

  • 4. Criminal Court Case Information - Case History

    • 20240709
    • Court record
    • Maricopa County Superior Court

    State of Arizona
    Case #
    CR2015-001900-001
    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    2/26/2012
    Date
    10/2/2015
    Description
    MOLESTATION OF CHILD
    ARSCode
    13-1410 (F3)
    Disposition Code
    Pled to Reduced Charge
    Disposition
    Pled Guilty To Reduced Charge

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    2/16/2010
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    MOLESTATION OF CHILD
    ARSCode
    13-1410 (F2)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    5/1/2011
    Date
    10/2/2015
    Description
    MOLESTATION OF CHILD
    ARSCode
    13-1410 (F3)
    Disposition Code
    Pled to Reduced Charge
    Disposition
    Pled Guilty To Reduced Charge

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    6/6/2006
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    MOLESTATION OF CHILD
    ARSCode
    13-1410 (F2)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    6/1/2006
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
    ARSCode
    13-1204 (F6)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    5/1/2003
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    SEXUAL ABUSE
    ARSCode
    13-1404 (F3)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    10/1/1997
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    MOLESTATION OF CHILD
    ARSCode
    13-1410 (F2)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    10/1/1997
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
    ARSCode
    13-1204 (F6)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

    Party Name
    James Bayless
    Crime Date
    10/1/1997
    Date
    11/6/2015
    Description
    AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
    ARSCode
    13-1204 (F6)
    Disposition Code
    Dismissed - Plea Other
    Disposition
    Dismissed Due To Plea On Other Count

Documents

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Criminal case documents

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Civil case documents

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Timeline

  • 1946
    Born

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Other Mormon sex abuse cases

    • Douglas Stoddard (1949 – ) was an LDS bishop in Hurst, Texas; convicted in 1992 of a felony child sexual abuse charge of indecency with a child by contact; sentenced to 8 years of probation; a lifetime registered sex offender in Texas; named publicly in August 2023 by a victim who said Stoddard molested him and three other boys in his Mormon ward while serving as bishop
    • View report »
    • Erik Hughes (1966 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Mapleton, Utah and a Mormon church senior product manager when he sexually abused two underage children in his LDS ward dozens of times; was sentenced to prison in 2017; released in 2023; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Utah
    • View report »