Was Scout leader,
Unknown result,
updated Jan 18, 2025 - request update
John Doe (pseudonym) was a Mormon church member and Cub/Boy Scout leader in the United States. In the 2020s, a sexual abuse survivor identified Doe as part of a “proof of claim” submission in the massive Boy Scouts of America (BSA) bankruptcy case. The claim was one of 2,854 that directly identified the Mormon church, according to an expert analysis of the LDS church’s potential total liability for the sexual abuse allegations. The alleged abuse took place prior to the bankruptcy filing in February 2020, and may have dated back as early as the 1940s. FLOODLIT is seeking court documents and more details about these cases.
Do you know them? Add info or contact us
FLOODLIT.org compiles reports on sexual abuse in the LDS church to raise public awareness and help survivors heal. Learn more » or Get involved »
Sponsored Content
Other Mormon sex abuse cases
-

- Jim UNKNOWN was a Mormon church member and Melchizedek priesthood holder in Lancaster, California; a 2024 civil lawsuit said he took part with a Mormon bishop and another Melchizedek priesthood holder in sexually assaulting an underage boy inside an LDS church building on a weekly basis from 2001 to 2003, starting when the victim was 15 years old
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Ryan Whitaker (1953 – ) was an LDS church member and divorce lawyer in Vancouver, Washington; charged with sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in his Sunday School class during church meetings; convicted in 2013 and sentenced to prison; registered sex offender
- View report »
-
-

- Byron Poelman (1934 – 2014) was a bishop and stake president in Utah and partner in a law firm that represented the LDS church; arrested in 1994 for soliciting a prostitute; pleaded guilty to a class B misdemeanor charge of patronizing a prostitute
- View report »
"President and sister Poelman's lives need to be private now. [...] We are a family. A family keeps things private. A family draws close together. These things are to be kept private."— Boyd Packer, Mormon apostle-
-

- B P was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
-
-

- UNKNOWN Simpkins was an LDS stake seventy in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Bruce O'Dell (1970 – ) was a Mormon bishop and dermatologist in Show Low, Navajo County, Arizona; in 1999, was charged with 48 counts of sexual abuse
- View report »
-
-

- Richard James (1966 – ) was a Mormon church member in Potomac, Maryland; accused of sexually abusing a boy from 1995 to 1999 at billionaire Bill Marriott's home, an LDS church and other locations; pleaded guilty to reduced child abuse charges; sentenced to 10 years in prison (nine suspended); was a registered sex offender; the victim sued the church, Marriott and six others in 2024
- View report »
-
-

- Vernon Sanford was an LDS church member in San Diego, California; died in 2000; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse, along with his son, Vernon Sanford Jr; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church; the alleged abuse occurred between 1961 and 1970; the Sanfords were the plaintiff's LDS home teachers
- View report »
-
-

- Christopher Fleming was an LDS church member in Chesapeake, Virginia; found guilty of 10 counts of various sexual abuse to a minor; currently incarcerated in Virginia
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Byron Wiscombe (1977 – ) was an LDS bishopric counselor and Ammon, Idaho city councilman; signed a plea agreement indicating he would admit to committing lewd conduct with a minor; sentenced to prison in 2023
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Mitchell Young (1960 – ) was an LDS missionary in Canada; in 1980, was sent home after allegedly molesting children; convicted in Arizona (1985) and Utah (1988) of child sexual abuse; in 1993, sentenced in Utah to 15 years in prison for molesting a child for five years; a 2002 lawsuit against the LDS church accused Mormon leaders of providing a safe harbor for him; as of 2024, lives in Ogden, Utah; registered sex offender
- View report »
-
-

- Mark Thomas was an LDS church member in Illinois; accused of sexual abuse; a plaintiff sued the LDS church
- View report »
-
-

- Philander Smartt was a Mormon mission president in Puerto Rico; accused of sexually manipulating some of his sister missionaries; in 2014, the LDS church sent him home and called his behavior "immoral and sinful," but no criminal charges or civil lawsuits resulted
- View report »
-
-

- Craig Ford was a Mormon church member in Oregon; convicted of sexual abuse; in 2025, a $25 million lawsuit against the Mormon church said a Vancouver, Washington bishop knew of the abuse but failed to report to police
- View report »
-
-

- Gary Westlund was an LDS church member; accused of sexual abuse of a Navajo child placed in an LDS foster home as part of the Indian Student Placement Program, also called the Lamanite Placement Program
- View report »
-
-

- Gary Reese (1938 – 2014) was a Mormon bishopric counselor, seminary teacher and Boy Scout leader in Washington; accused of sexually molesting several boys in his scout troops; never charged; died in 2014
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Keith Price (1956 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Pleasant Grove, Utah; convicted in 2018 of class A misdemeanor voyeurism; secretly recorded underage girls; the crime occurred while he was serving as bishop
- View report »
-
-

- Mark Cram (1956 – ) was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency counselor, and city manager in Riverton, Utah; charged in 2006 with voyeurism; admitted climbing a 9-foot wall at a tanning salon to watch a 16-year-old girl undress; pleaded guilty; plea was held in abeyance; he completed the terms set by the court, charge was dismissed and case was expunged in 2008; as of February 2024, lives in Riverton, Utah
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Rex Furness (1923 – 2005) was a former Idaho state senator and Mormon bishop in Idaho; in 1996, pleaded guilty to sexual battery for fondling an underage girl; was sentenced to 60 days in jail; given a withheld judgment: if he did not violate the terms of his probation, the felony conviction would be kept from his record
- View report »
-
-

- George Tilson (1942 – 2020) was a Mormon church member in the Salt Lake City, Utah area (including Holladay); pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse in the 1990s; alleged coverup by Mormon leaders
- View report »
-
-

- Calvin McGee (2002 – ) was an LDS missionary in Virginia in 2022; accused of soliciting sexually explicit pictures and video from a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl, and inviting her to meet in person; arrested in Boise, Idaho in July 2023 and accused of rape of a minor; pleaded guilty to two charges related to child sexual abuse; sentenced in May 2024 to three to 25 years in prison
- View report »
-
-

- Richard Baker (1978 – ) was an LDS bishopric counselor in Clearfield, Utah; accused of voyeurism and child sexual exploitation
- View report »
-
-

- Erik Hughes (1966 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Mapleton, Utah and a Mormon church senior product manager when he sexually abused two underage children in his LDS ward dozens of times; was sentenced to prison in 2017; released in 2023; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Utah
- View report »
-
-

- Buckland Darrell (1979 – ) was a former LDS Primary teacher in Redmond, Washington; accused of molesting young boys in sacrament meeting and at their homes; charged with first-degree felony child molestation in 2022-23 (5 victims); admitted to sexually abusing around 6 to 8 boys; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2024 to at least 8 years in prison; faced two additional counts in March 2025 after two more victims came forward
- View report »
-
-

- Doyle Kelstrom (1938 – ) was a Mormon church member in Oregon and Utah; accused of child sexual abuse; sentenced in 1992 to five years to life in prison in Utah
- View report »
-
-

- Prescott De Jean (1955 – ) was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Texas; accused of sexual abuse; convicted between 1991 and 1997 of indecency with a child by contact; victim was 6 years old at the time of the abuse; convicted in 2013 of third degree felony failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements; as of March 2024, lives in Port Lavaca, Texas as a registered sex offender
- View report »
-
-

- Timothy Johnson was a Mormon church member in Oregon; pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree sexual abuse and was sentenced to 15 years in prison; a lawsuit against the Mormon church was dismissed with prejudice
- View report »
-
-

- James Bayless (1946 – ) was a Mormon church member in Gilbert, Arizona; pleaded guilty in 2015 to two counts of molestation of a child; as of 2024, is a registered sex offender living in Mesa, Arizona
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- William Jansen (1983 – ) was an LDS church member and police officer in Twin Falls, Idaho; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty
- View report »
-
-

- James Hayes (1956 – ) was an LDS bishop in the Timmins - North Bay area, Ontario, Canada; convicted of sexual exploitation in November 2001; molested an underage girl in his ward while serving as her bishop
- View report »
-
-

- Gene Guinn (1932 – 2008) was an LDS church member in the Dallas Seventh Ward, Texas; in 2000, found guilty by a jury of indecency with a child and sentenced to 68 years in prison; the victim was 10 years old at the time of the crime; Mormon officials allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report to police
- View report »
-
-

- Tim Ryan was allegedly an LDS church member in Idaho; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2008 to a felony charge of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16; detectives said the victim's family reported the abuse in 1999, but that it was dropped when they wouldn't cooperate with investigators
- View report »
-
-

- Keele Taylor was a Mormon church member in Farmington, Utah; convicted of possession of child pornography (child sexual abuse material / CSAM); in July 2019, pleaded guilty to possession of CSAM; the distribution charge was dropped due to a plea agreement
- View report »
-
-

- Karey Zimmerman (1962 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah and Nevada; in 2025, was accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse that allegedly took place in Nevada and Utah; the Mormon church was also named as a defendant; the lawsuit said a Utah bishop failed to report abuse allegations to police
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- David Bromley was an LDS church member in Illinois; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
-
-

- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-

- Keith Knutson (1968 – ) was a Mormon church member in Seattle, Washington; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges in 1995; a Mormon bishop allegedly failed to report abuse allegations to police
- View report »
-
-

- Kendall Traxler (1969 – 2015) was an LDS church member in Gallman and Hazelhurst, Mississippi; died in 2015; a victim told FLOODLIT that Traxler sexually abused them when they were a child; the abuse allegedly took place during Sunday branch meetings; the branch president and stake president allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report it to law enforcement
- View report »
-
-

- Clayton Hildreth (1952 – ) was a Mormon stake president in Butte, Montana; from Dillon, Montana; arrested in June 2004 by Boise, Idaho police for soliciting sex from a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl online; was stake president at the time of his arrest; pleaded guilty in October to a charge of interstate travel with intent to have sex with a minor; sentenced in 2005 to three years and five months in prison
- View report »
-
-

- Ronald Boyce (1961 – ) was a Mormon seminary teacher and home teacher in Schenectady, New York in the 1990s; accused of child sexual abuse in a 2024 civil lawsuit against the LDS church
- View report »
-
Help Floodlit raise awareness about sexual abuse in the Mormon church
Your donations help us cover costs, create reports and make court documents available.
We've accomplished a lot in 2025 thanks to you!
Donate »Donate to support FLOODLIT.org
Your support enables us to conduct research, publish case info, and make documents freely available.
Our relentless reporting honors survivors, assists researchers, and empowers those who protect the vulnerable.
We're an independent non-profit newsroom.
Donate »Sources
No sources available. Please contact us to request an update.
Documents
Have docs or info? Add information
Criminal case documents
Floodlit does not have information regarding whether a related probable cause affidavit exists. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Civil case documents
Floodlit does not have information regarding whether a related civil complaint exists. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Other documents
Floodlit does not have information regarding whether other related documents exist. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for some.Add information
If someone you know was harmed by the person listed on this page, or if you would like us to add or correct any information, please fill out the form below. We will keep you anonymous. You can also contact us directly.
"*" indicates required fields





























