James Duffin (1952 – ) was an LDS church member in California; accused of child sexual abuse; convicted in 2006; incarcerated 2006 to 2011; allegedly groomed female students ages 7-10 with attention and candy and then forcing sexual contact in his classroom after school.

Description : LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH A CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE
Year of Last Conviction : 2006

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A source familiar with Duffin’s case told FLOODLIT that local LDS church leaders failed to tell new families with young girls about Duffin’s history as they moved into the ward. Our source says they have alerted two families in the last ten years who had young girls and lived in his neighborhood. Neither family had been alerted by any Mormon leaders.

Floodlit has been told the ward leaders took steps to protect Duffin’s comfort in attending and participating in ward activities. Leaders have appeared to make no effort to protect children from becoming his future victims, other than issuing callings not involving youth. Our source reports that, as new families have moved into the ward (and wards have been combined) there has been little effort to keep children in the ward Duffin attends safe from this known sex offender.

As of 2023, Duffin is serving in his local Mormon ward in California as a sacrament meeting chorister.

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Sources

  1. Offender Profile James Mario Duffin Jr, Offender Radar, December 19, 2023.

Documents

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Criminal case documents

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Civil case documents

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Timeline

  • 1952
    Born

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Other Mormon sex abuse cases

    • Shawn Gooden (1974 – ) was an LDS bishop in Lebanon, Pennsylvania from 2016-2020; arrested in 2022 and charged with sexual abuse of two children in Virginia from 1997-2000; pleaded guilty in July 2023 in Virginia to four felony counts; sentenced in November 2023 in Virginia to prison time and supervised probation on release; charged in July 2023 in Pennsylvania with more child sex abuse charges
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    • Marvin Harker (1968 – ) was an LDS bishop in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada in 2016; reportedly confessed to his mission president in 1987 to sexually abusing multiple children; also reportedly confessed to his bishop; both leaders told him not to report to police, according to records in a 2016 criminal case; convicted in 2019 (alleged abuse 1986-93); sentenced in 2020 to five years in prison; registered sex offender
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    • John Fanning (1932 – 2012) was a Mormon branch president in Texas, bishop in Oklahoma and Boy Scout executive in several US states, including Utah; accused in 1986 in Utah of sexually abusing at least three boys, including during LDS-sponsored scouting activities; admitted guilt; convicted via plea agreement in 1986 or 1987; sentenced to 30 days in jail and spent approximately 18 months on probation; died in 2012
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      • "I told [John Fanning] we had two options. Immediate termination or he could resign and I would pay him through the end of next month but he had to leave as of now. He elected to resign."
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