Gary Dean Scritchfield

Sources

1. Three civil suits accuse Little Rock churches of child sex abuse, demanding jury trials, KATV (Little Rock, Arkansas), February 5, 2026.
2. [lawsuit complaint PDF], KATV (Little Rock, Arkansas), February 5, 2026.
3. 60CV-26-1308: J H V CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ET AL, ARCourts (Arkansas), February 5, 2026.
4. Woman sues Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accuses leaders of concealing sexual abuse in Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 4, 2026.
5. Mormon church files motion to dismiss sexual abuse lawsuit July 2, 2026 by Mary Lyle, Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, July 2, 2026.
6. Woman sues Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accuses leaders of concealing sexual abuse in Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, July 28, 2026.

• 1. Three civil suits accuse Little Rock churches of child sex abuse, demanding jury trials

  • 20260205
  • News article
  • KATV (Little Rock, Arkansas)

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  LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — At the end of January, several civil lawsuits were filed against multiple churches in the city of Little Rock. In all three, the plaintiffs ask for a trial by jury.

  [...]

  On Jan. 30, a civil case was filed against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) on behalf of an anonymous woman named J.H.

  J.H. claims, starting from 4-years-old, that she endured sexual abuse for 12 years at the hands of her stepfather, G.S., who held a position of authority at the Pinnacle Mountain Ward LDS Church.

  What she told authorities in 1993, leading to criminal charges for G.S., the church "implied she was responsible for her own victimization and stated he would wait to see how the criminal charges played out before taking any action."

  G.S. gave public testimony during a church service in which he asked for forgiveness from his family and daughter. J.H. was forced to sit through her abuser's public performance of contrition, re-traumatizing her in front of the entire congregation.

  G.S. pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree.

  J.H. was eventually placed in foster care with another LDS family, and continued to attend the same church as her step-father. After about nine months in foster care, her mother left G.S. and J.H. was returned to her mother's custody.

• 2. [lawsuit complaint PDF]

  • 20260205
  • News article
  • KATV (Little Rock, Arkansas)

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  You can read the full text of the civil complaint at the URL provided.

  Floodlit obtained a copy from Pulaski County and is working on making the document available from our own documents area: https://floodlit.org/docs

• 3. 60CV-26-1308: J H V CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ET AL

  • 20260205
  • Court record
  • ARCourts (Arkansas)

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  Case Number
  60CV-26-1308

  Filing Date
  01/30/2026

  Court
  PULASKI CIRCUIT

  Case Type
  TORT-OTHER

  Status
  CASE OPEN

  [...]

  01/30/2026 @ 8:01PM COMPLAINT/PETITION FILED

• 4. Woman sues Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accuses leaders of concealing sexual abuse in Little Rock

  • 20260204
  • News article
  • Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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  Woman sues Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accuses leaders of concealing sexual abuse in Little Rock
  June 28, 2026 by Mary Lyle

  Gift Article
  The sun sets behind the Salt Lake Temple, the centerpiece of Temple Square, in Salt Lake City in this April 27, 2006, file photo. (AP/Douglas C. Pizac)
  The sun sets behind the Salt Lake Temple, the centerpiece of Temple Square, in Salt Lake City in this April 27, 2006, file photo. (AP/Douglas C. Pizac)

  An unnamed plaintiff is suing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in federal court, saying that 10 church leaders gave a convicted child rapist authority in the church and allowed him to interact regularly with children at the Pinnacle Mountain Ward LDS Church.

  "Known pedophiles should not be given access to children. Yet, that is exactly what Defendants did in this case," the plaintiff's lawyer, Paul Byrd of Little Rock, said in the lawsuit. "The results were horrific."

  The suit was filed April 30, and the files were unsealed Tuesday.

  Byrd did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails asking for comment.

  In the years 1981 through 1993 -- from the ages 4 to 15-- the plaintiff "endured pervasive sexual abuse" by her stepfather, according to the suit before U.S. District Judge James M. Moody.

  The stepfather, named G.S. in the files, is not a defendant in the lawsuit.

  G.S. was a priesthood holder in the church. The plaintiff came forward about the abuse in 1993, resulting in criminal charges being filed against him.

  The 22-page lawsuit says that when the church was made aware of the charges pending against G.S., the plaintiff met with the bishops and counselors of the church where she was "interrogated and blamed."

  The stepfather claimed she had seduced him, which leaders in the church believed, the lawsuit says. "Rather than protecting a traumatized child, Church leaders implied she was responsible for her own victimization," the lawsuit states.

  Church leaders said they would "wait to see how the criminal charges played out" before taking further action, the lawsuit says. With criminal charges pending, church officials allowed G.S. to give public testimony that asked for his family and his daughter's forgiveness, the lawsuit says.

  The plaintiff was temporarily placed in foster care with another Mormon family at the request of her mother, where she continued to see her stepfather every Sunday at church "with no supervision or protection." Other church families were never warned about his charges or the danger he posed, the lawsuit says.

  In 1993, G.S. pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree.

  "Throughout the investigation and prosecution, the Church prioritized protecting its own reputation over protecting an innocent child," the suit said.

  The lawsuit says that G.S. abused multiple minors, including other members of the plaintiff's family.

  According to the lawsuit, the church creates and maintains membership records that, at the time, were reviewed and controlled by the defendants. Annotations are marked on membership records if a member's conduct has threatened another person, including sexual offenses against children, the lawsuit says.

  The lawsuit says that the defendants allowed a pattern and practice of concealing abuse from authorities and encouraged other members to do the same.

  Sam Penrod, spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the church plans to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit early this week.

  The plaintiff has dealt with PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. Around 2022-2023, she began to connect the events in her childhood with the issues she's faced in adulthood, the lawsuit says.

  "The Church's institutional betrayal has left (the plaintiff) with profound and lasting psychological wounds," the suit said.

  "Instead of receiving support and protection, she was subjected to further trauma by the very institution that should have stood by her."

• 5. Mormon church files motion to dismiss sexual abuse lawsuit July 2, 2026 by Mary Lyle

  • 20260702
  • News article
  • Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints said they owed a victim of sexual abuse "no duty" of protection from her abuser.

  In a motion filed Tuesday, the Mormon church asked U.S. District Judge James M. Moody to dismiss a lawsuit which claims 10 church leaders gave a child molester authority in the church and allowed him to regularly interact with children at the Pinnacle Mountain LDS Church.

  The plaintiff's attorney, Paul Byrd of Little Rock, did not respond to multiple emails or phone calls asking for comment.

  The motion does not deny the claims brought forward in the original suit, but instead says there is no legal basis to sue due to the statute of limitations passing and the leaders' actions being protected based on past case law.

  In regards to the abuse faced by the plaintiff, the motion says, "No child should ever have to endure that."

  "Plaintiff is not suing the Church because her stepfather abused her." The motion says, "And no court has ever held that a church has a duty to prevent intrafamily abuse."

  The church, represented by attorneys Chip Chiles and William Yandell of Little Rock, claims the basis of the lawsuit is in regards to its "post abuse pastoral response" that left emotional damage on the plaintiff. According to the motion, this is not a valid legal claim because the First Amendment protects churches from being held liable for clergy malpractice.

  "First, the Church had no duty to provide support or protection to Plaintiff, so failure to do so is not outrageous." The suit says, "And it is unclear what she means by 'protection' because she was not abused again."

  The motion says the claim in the suit about seeing her stepfather at worship services after the church was made aware of pending criminal charges is not the church's fault.

  "Allowing a sinner to attend worship services is not outrageous conduct." The suit says, "The Church did not have custody of Plaintiff and could not control whether or where she attended worship services."

  In regards to the suit claiming the Plaintiff was interrogated and blamed for her abuse, the motion says while this behavior is "troubling", it does not qualify as a tort of outrage, which allows plaintiffs to recover damages for severe emotional distress caused by extreme and outrageous conduct.

  "Here the Church clergy allegedly asked insensitive -- one might even say callous -- questions to a girl who had accused her stepfather of sexual abuse." The motion says, "Although those alleged questions would be insensitive and improper if true, they do not warrant the intervention of the judicial system and an award of damages."

  The motion claims not only are the actions of the church leaders protected, but the actions of misconduct have expired under the statute of limitations.

  The original lawsuit says statute of limitations does not apply under the Justice for Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Abuse Act.

  According to Arkansas Code, the act states, "A vulnerable victim may bring a civil action against any party who committed sexual abuse against the vulnerable victim or whose tortious conduct caused the vulnerable victim to be a victim of sexual abuse."

  The motion says this act does not apply to the suit because the suit doesn't claim church leaders committed or caused the sexual abuse against the plaintiff.

  In response to multiple phone calls and emails to Chiles for comment, he passed along the inquiry to his client, who had not responded by deadline Thursday.

  Due to the abuse occurring 35 to 45 years ago, the statute of limitations has expired, the motion says.

  "The Church prays this Court dismiss Plaintiff's complaint with prejudice." The motion says, "No amendment to her pleading could cure the legal insufficiences of her claims."

  The church requested for oral arguments to be made on the motion.

  Moody had not made a decision on the motion or whether oral arguments would be allowed as of Thursday evening.

• 6. Woman sues Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accuses leaders of concealing sexual abuse in Little Rock

  • 20260728
  • News article
  • Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette

  • original
  • archived
  • back to list

  An unnamed plaintiff is suing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in federal court, saying that 10 church leaders gave a convicted child rapist authority in the church and allowed him to interact regularly with children at the Pinnacle Mountain Ward LDS Church.

  "Known pedophiles should not be given access to children. Yet, that is exactly what Defendants did in this case," the plaintiff's lawyer, Paul Byrd of Little Rock, said in the lawsuit. "The results were horrific."

  The suit was filed April 30, and the files were unsealed Tuesday.

  Byrd did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails asking for comment.

  In the years 1981 through 1993 -- from the ages 4 to 15-- the plaintiff "endured pervasive sexual abuse" by her stepfather, according to the suit before U.S. District Judge James M. Moody.

  The stepfather, named G.S. in the files, is not a defendant in the lawsuit.

  G.S. was a priesthood holder in the church. The plaintiff came forward about the abuse in 1993, resulting in criminal charges being filed against him.

  The 22-page lawsuit says that when the church was made aware of the charges pending against G.S., the plaintiff met with the bishops and counselors of the church where she was "interrogated and blamed."

  The stepfather claimed she had seduced him, which leaders in the church believed, the lawsuit says. "Rather than protecting a traumatized child, Church leaders implied she was responsible for her own victimization," the lawsuit states.

  Church leaders said they would "wait to see how the criminal charges played out" before taking further action, the lawsuit says. With criminal charges pending, church officials allowed G.S. to give public testimony that asked for his family and his daughter's forgiveness, the lawsuit says.

  The plaintiff was temporarily placed in foster care with another Mormon family at the request of her mother, where she continued to see her stepfather every Sunday at church "with no supervision or protection." Other church families were never warned about his charges or the danger he posed, the lawsuit says.

  In 1993, G.S. pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree.

  "Throughout the investigation and prosecution, the Church prioritized protecting its own reputation over protecting an innocent child," the suit said.

  The lawsuit says that G.S. abused multiple minors, including other members of the plaintiff's family.

  According to the lawsuit, the church creates and maintains membership records that, at the time, were reviewed and controlled by the defendants. Annotations are marked on membership records if a member's conduct has threatened another person, including sexual offenses against children, the lawsuit says.

  The lawsuit says that the defendants allowed a pattern and practice of concealing abuse from authorities and encouraged other members to do the same.

  Sam Penrod, spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the church plans to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit early this week.

  The plaintiff has dealt with PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. Around 2022-2023, she began to connect the events in her childhood with the issues she's faced in adulthood, the lawsuit says.

  "The Church's institutional betrayal has left (the plaintiff) with profound and lasting psychological wounds," the suit said.

  "Instead of receiving support and protection, she was subjected to further trauma by the very institution that should have stood by her."