Rowland James (1968 – ) was an LDS church member in Lansing, Michigan; found guilty of sexually abusing young girls and a young boy he met at church; serving time in prison as of January 2024.

Rowland James was an LDS church member in Lansing, Michigan.

He was found guilty in two separate cases. In both, he sexually abused young girls he met at church.

James is currently serving at Oaks Correctional Facility. Earliest Release Date: 12/20/2051

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Sara (a pseudonym to protect her identity) told FLOODLIT that Rowland James sexually abused her sometime between 1990-1992, before molesting the girls for whose abuse he was convicted.

Sara’s father was assigned by the bishop in their ward to mentor James, which is when the abuse happened.

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Sources

  1. Child sexual predator heading to prison confesses he cannot control urges , MLive, April 19, 2017.
  2. Man confesses to performing oral sex on 11-year-old boy, MLive, March 3, 2017.
  3. Man accused of sexual assaulting minor on Thanksgiving weekend, bond set at $500,000, MLive, January 11, 2017.

Documents

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Criminal case documents

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Civil case documents

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Timeline

  • 1968
    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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    • Clark Crookston (1949 – ) was a former Mormon bishop, dentist and college professor in Orem, Utah; accused of nearly 60 years of sex abuse of multiple children; pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2022 to up to 35 years in prison
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      • "I assumed I was alone. I felt guilty even to question his worthiness. [...] I buried the hurt and kept it secret for over 30 years. [...] The children who came forward are my heroes. These are the brave souls [who] broke the curse that has been happening for nearly 60 years."
      — Jane Doe, abuse survivor