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.
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Other Mormon sex abuse cases
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- John Wichmann was an LDS bishop in the San Diego California South Stake in 2015-16; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church; the alleged sexual assaults took place in an unlocked church classroom in San Diego 25 times while other congregants were nearby
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- Michael Bolingbroke (1942 – ) was a Mormon bishop and stake seventy president in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California; accused of child sexual abuse in a 2022 lawsuit; died in 2024
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- Michael Stillman (1939 – 2020) was a Mormon Tabernacle Choir member and professional scouter with the Boy Scouts of America in Monroe, Sevier County, Utah; accused in 1989 of having sexually abused a boy between the ages of 13 and 15 in the mid-1970s; decided to resign as district scout executive as long as it did not imply guilt; was never reported to police or charged with a crime
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- 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
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- John d'Aquin (1966 – ) was an LDS church member; convicted in 1994 in Louisiana of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles performing sexually immoral acts; convicted in 2007 in Louisiana of indecent behavior with juveniles
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- Steve Nelson (1945 – ) was an LDS church member in Idaho; in 2009, pleaded guilty to a charge of lewd conduct; sentenced to 30 years in prison; Mormon leaders allegedly failed to report abuse to police in the 1980s
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- 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
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- Michael Davis (1985 – ) was an LDS church member in Utah and later an elders quorum president in Minnesota; pleaded guilty in 2003 in Utah to misdemeanor lewdness involving a child; pleaded guilty in Utah in 2006 to felony forcible sexual abuse; arrested in 2019 in Minnesota; sentenced in 2022 to 30 years in prison for sexual abuse of a juvenile under his care; in March 2024, appealed his 2022 Minnesota conviction
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- Michael Coleman (1960 – ) was an LDS bishop and former sound recording engineer in Mesa, Arizona (Lehi 2nd Ward); arrested in 2014 for sexual solicitation of a minor online; the alleged crime took place while he was bishop
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- 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
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- G N was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse
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- Todd Edwards (1964 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Menifee, Riverside County, California; in 2013, sentenced to three years in prison for sexual abuse of one teenage girl in 2006 and another in 2012; was bishop at the time of the 2012 abuse; in 2024, two victims sued the LDS church in separate lawsuits; one said a stake president and LDS law firm Kirton McConkie hindered police
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- Paul Barnes (1955 – ) was a Mormon stake patriarch and former stake presidency counselor in Queen Creek, Arizona; accused of child sexual abuse that took place in 2022 in Idaho; convicted in 2023 or later and sentenced to prison
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- John Doe was an LDS church member in Australia; accused of sexual abuse
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- 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
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- Dylan Whiting (1988 – ) was an LDS bishop in Nampa, Idaho; was removed from his position in 2021 after child sexual abuse allegations surfaced; was charged with four sex crimes; pleaded guilty to one felony count; sentenced in 2022 to prison
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- Timothy Hallows (1958 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Kaysville, Utah when he perpetrated sex crimes; sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM); released in January 2023; as of February 2024, lives in Pleasant View, Utah
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- Murray Stubbs (1965 – ) was a Mormon church member in Canberra ACT Australia; accused of grooming a child using the internet because of sexually explicit texts; was found guilty of using the internet in an offensive way
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- Robert White was a Mormon missionary in South Dakota in the late 1960s; in 2008, a civil lawsuit filed against the Mormon church said he sexually abused a boy while on his mission
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- George Koford was a Mormon bishop in Cerritos, California; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing a child as part of a sex trafficking ring, and of covering up the abuse; the plaintiff said she was abused over 200 times at the Cerritos LDS stake center from 1979 to 1983
- View report »
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- 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 »
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- Kim Nelson was a Mormon church member in St. George, Utah; pleaded guilty to charges of child sexual abuse and was sentenced to prison; LDS leaders allegedly knew about the abuse and failed to report to police
- View report »
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- Jay Toombs (1956 – ) was an LDS scout leader and private investigator in Benson, Utah; allegedly told his stake president (a Cache County prosecutor) in 1994 that he had molested boys; three LDS bishops and stake president Jerry Toombs (his older brother) allegedly knew of abuse but did not tell police; convicted in 2000 and sentenced to five years to life in prison; released in 2025; lives in Logan, Utah
- View report »
"I felt like I was going to the authorities [by reporting to multiple bishops]. I wanted to do what was right. I didn't want to see him go to prison. I wanted him to get help. [...] I was always told to be patient with Jay, he was a good man. That's what I was told again and again and again. I was even given priesthood blessings that I had been chosen to help him."— Jane Doe, mother of abuse victim John Doe-
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- Timothy Monzello was a Mormon bishop in Azusa, California (Azusa 1st Ward, Glendora California Stake) from about 2005 to 2010; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexual abuse that allegedly took place between 2008 and 2010, starting when the victim was seven years old; the alleged abuse took place in the bishop's office at church and at Monzello's home
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- 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 »
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- Carlos Escalante was an LDS branch president in San Nicolas, Argentina; sexually abused his stepdaughter for 5 years, including while branch president; the victim asked local LDS leaders for support, but allegedly received none; she was punished by the church for "refusing to forgive" and for "failing to comply with worthiness standards;" Escalante was sentenced in 2018 to 14 years in prison
- View report »
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- Steven Murdock (1963 – ) was a Mormon stake high council member and former LDS bishop in Holladay, Salt Lake County, Utah; allegedly sexually harassed multiple women in his ward while he was their bishop (he was bishop from 2013 to 2017); in 2019, was caught taking photos of a young woman in a dressing room in Tennessee; pleaded guilty in November 2019; sentenced in 2019 to one year probation, 48 hours community service
- View report »
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- Craig Nebeker (1960 – ) was a Mormon church member in California and St. George, Utah; accused of sexual abuse and convicted of three counts of AGGRAVATED SEX ABUSE OF A CHILD and one count SODOMY ON A CHILD
- View report »
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- Douglas Hall (1952 – ) was an LDS bishop and retired Utah Highway Patrol sergeant in Monticello, Utah; pleaded guilty in 2001 to two third degree felony counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2002 to one second degree felony count of sex abuse of a child
- View report »
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- Dennis Empey (1957 – ) was a Mormon church member in Driggs, Idaho and scout leader in Provo, Utah; accused of sexually abusing many children between 1981 and 1990; a stake president and four Mormon bishops allegedly failed to report abuse for years; convicted in 1991 in Utah of child molestation; sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation; charged in 2025 in Idaho with sex crimes
- View report »
"This man has molested so many children that it involved four Bishops from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."— Joe Empey's neighbor, pre-sentencing letter to Utah County judge George Ballif, Sept. 13, 1991-
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- 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 »
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- William Evans (1909 – 1991) was a prominent Mormon church member in Salt Lake City, Utah; was bishop twice of the Grant 6th ward; from 1957 to 1962, was in the Utah State Legislature; served as Salt Lake County Clerk from 1968 to 1983; died in 1991; allegedly raped a relative in Salt Lake City in the early 1980s
- View report »
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- Paydan Bussey (1998 – ) was a Mormon church member in Washington and Utah; convicted of child sexual abuse charges while a minor in Washington; removed from sex offender registries in Washington and Utah; allegedly molested a child in 2019 while on a trip to Spain paid for by the Mormon church; charged in Washington and Utah in 2024 with child sexual abuse felonies; named in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church
- View report »
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- Joseph Smith (1805 – 1844) was the founder of the LDS church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church); was publicly accused during his life (1805-1844) of sexual misconduct, including adultery and illegal polygamy; in May 1844, a Hancock County, Illinois grand jury indicted Smith for perjury, fornication and polygamy; died in June 1844
- View report »
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- 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 »
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- Keith Gillins (1947 – ) was a former mayor, LDS bishop and high school teacher in Fillmore, Utah; arrested on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old girl; convicted in 2009 of first degree felony attempted rape, first degree felony attempted sodomy and second degree felony forcible sexual abuse; sentenced in 2009 to three sentences of three years to life in prison
- View report »
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- Kip Later was an LDS church member and scout leader in Idaho; accused in the 1980s of sexual abuse; Mormon church leaders allegedly failed to tell police about abuse allegations
- View report »
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- 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 »
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Criminal case documents
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