Paul Kleven Barnes

Paul Barnes was a Mormon stake patriarch in Queen Creek, Arizona.

In May 2014, Barnes (then 59) became first counselor in the Queen Creek Arizona Stake presidency.

Barnes may also have been a stake clerk or stake executive secretary in Arizona. Please add information if you can.

In 2023, Barnes was arrested and charged with child sexual abuse that allegedly took place in Idaho.

Barnes was a stake patriarch at the time of the alleged abuse. At that time, he was also attending a Mormon temple regularly, according to a source familiar with his case.

He molested a 10-year-old child and confessed to police, the source said.

In his confession, Barnes tried to convince police the 10-year-old child was a willing participant in the abuse, according to the source.

According to a psychosexual evaluation submitted to the court in Barnes’s case in July 2023, the psychologist was unable to perform the evaluation on Barnes despite repeated attempts over one and a half hours.

The psychologist wrote:

The interview was discontinued after one-and-a-half-hours. Mr. Barnes repeatedly questioned the process throughout the interview. He stated he felt “railroaded” by the process. The interview ended after an exchange that occurred when he asked me to not document his answer to a question. When I explained my job is to document his answer but also his explanation, he questioned my objectivity and ability to perform an accurate evaluation. Unfortunately, when he stated he did not believe I was conducting an objective and accurate evaluation, I ethically could not proceed.

Barnes was convicted and sentenced to prison.

As of 2024, Barnes was serving a prison sentence of 5 to 15 years. Barnes was initially in an Idaho prison, but was transferred to Arizona in late 2023 or in 2024.

Idaho case number for Barnes’s criminal case: CR42-22-8525

FLOODLIT is seeking more information. If you knew Barnes, please contact us.