Case report
Eddie Padilla was a Mormon bishop in New Mexico.
While bishop, Padilla allegedly asked an LDS church member in his ward probing sexual questions in bishop interviews on multiple occasions.
While Padilla was a Mormon bishop, a young woman came forward saying he had abused her. Most ward members didn’t believe her, a person who knew the family told FLOODLIT. The source asked to remain anonymous; we’ll refer to him as John.
Months later, multiple other female victims came forward saying Padilla molested them for years.
Padilla was released as bishop. In 1990, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal sexual penetration. He was sentenced to three years of probation and counseling.
Padilla was later accused of sexually abusing five girls who ranged in age from 4 to 13. The abuse was reported to have occurred from January 1984 to July 1993.
Padilla was convicted a second time, pleading guilty to three felony counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor.
In 1995, Padilla was sentenced to six years in state prison.
John told FLOODLIT that, at Padilla’s Mormon church disciplinary council, several men left the room to vomit. Padilla said he had been trying to educate girls on proper sexual techniques, John said.
Case facts
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- AKA Bishop Padilla
- LDS mission: unknown
- During alleged crime/failure: Bishop,
- When accused: Bishop,
- Lived in: New Mexico,
- During alleged crime, lived in: New Mexico,
- When accused, lived in: New Mexico,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Add information
Case information sources
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Case information source details
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Ex-Mormon bishop sentenced to 6 years
Publisher: Santa Few New Mexican
Date: 24 Feb 1995
Archive.org
Source type: News article[excerpt]
Eddie Padilla was sentenced in Taos Thursday to six years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to three counts of molesting children.
Padilla, a Taos resident and former bishop of the Mormon Church, asked for forgiveness in an emotional speech before Judge Caldwell announced the sentence.
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