Former Mormon missionary William James Purdy, 28, arrested on child sexual abuse charges. He allegedly sexually abused children during and after his mission in Tonga in 2017. At least 14 victims identified so far. Case report: https://floodlit.org/a/e993/ William Purdy was a Mormon missionary in Tonga in 2017. He was originally from Utah. In July 2025,…
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Floodlit.org has learned that two former LDS Social Services commissioners (who were also stake presidents) allegedly failed to report child sexual abuse. We’re looking for your stories if you’ve had any interactions with them or with LDS Social/Family Services. Larry Whiting and Harold Brown each led LDS Social Services for the Mormon church – Whiting…
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Court docs: In the 1980s, Alan Bassett confessed child sexual abuse to his Mormon bishop, who told the stake president, who called Kirton McConkie “about what ought to be done.” Several parents + a victim said they met w/ bishop; he denied meeting them. Bassett, charged in 2024, could now walk free. Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a780/ Floodlit…
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As 2025 reaches its mid-way point, Floodlit.org continues to report on sexual abuse in the Mormon church. Here is a quick summary of our work so far this year. A summary of Floodlit’s work so far in 2025: Published 77 case reports (now over 4,080 published) and updated hundreds more: https://floodlit.org/accused/ 11-part series of special…
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Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a720/ Former Mormon stake president and deputy district attorney, David McConkie, was sentenced today in Colorado to five years probation after a plea deal to avoid jail time for sexual abuse of a child. McConkie admitted child sexual abuse to an LDS bishop in 2008, but the bishop didn’t report to police. An abuse…
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We’ve updated our case report on Jake Retzlaff, former starting quarterback for the Brigham Young University football team. Today, a civil lawsuit against Retzlaff was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. Thanks to your donations and support, Floodlit has obtained copies of Retzlaff’s answer to the civil complaint, which he filed on…
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Mormon sexual abuse news: Former Idaho high school football coach charged with sexual abuse of a teenager was a Mormon bishopric counselor twice from 2014 to 2019. Floodlit case report: https://floodlit.org/a/g082/ Dozens of LDS sex abuse cases involving teachers: https://floodlit.org/?s=Teacher&id=5740 Kip Erik Crofts, 59, was a high school football coach in Caldwell, Idaho for many…
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Updated case details on Brandon Rex Brown: https://floodlit.org/a/a479/
Case report: https://floodlit.org/a/a038/ Download: 2025 sexual abuse lawsuit v. Mormon OB/GYN David Broadbent FLOODLIT has covered the unfolding criminal and civil litigation against former Provo, Utah OB/GYN David Broadbent since we launched in 2022, about a year after a woman shared her experience as his patient during a December 2021 Mormon Stories podcast episode (When…
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Four Zaugg men – three convicted Utah sex offenders, one recently charged in Idaho. All raised Mormon. Two went on Mormon missions. All four added to our Mormon sexual abuse database yesterday and today. At least three are related to each other. Did you know any of them? Floodlit posted yesterday about Krew Zaugg, a…
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Case details on Jeffery Lee Niemi: https://floodlit.org/a/g069/
Case details on Krew Zaugg, 21, of Idaho Falls, Idaho: https://floodlit.org/a/g070/
Floodlit.org has learned that from 1963 to 1989 (26 straight years), five Mormon men who knew of the Boy Scout perversion files held the paid position of top liaison between BSA and LDS church. If an LDS official’s 2012 statement is true, none of them informed the church. Could the church have done more? This…
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Yesterday, we mentioned the disturbing case of Richard Kenneth Ray, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) who admitted to Arizona police in 1984 to molesting at least 33 children, three calves, and a dog over two decades. This article is part of a series of Floodlit special reports…
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Floodlit.org has learned that in 2012, LDS church risk management director Paul Rytting declared under penalty of perjury, “the first lawsuit against the Church relating to sexual abuse was brought in 1989.” But we found two prior lawsuits (1986, 1988) directly contradicting his statement. Did he know? This article is part of a series of…
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We love to see courageous Latter Day Saints calling for safeguards in their church. This is what we at Floodlit hope for: safety, honesty, accountability and improvement. That is what this brave survivor is doing. May we all be this brave. -Jane Executive Director Floodlit.org Note: The original post by the abuse survivor was published…
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Floodlit.org has discovered another alleged coverup of child sexual abuse by Mormon church leaders: https://floodlit.org/a/g063/ Over a 28-year period starting in the 1950s, Mormon church member Edwin Ellis Dyer molested up to 15 boys. During some of those years, Dyer was their Boy Scout leader. For some reason, Ed Dyer’s name does not appear in…
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We (Floodlit.org) just discovered $1,268,835.62 more in Mormon church child sex abuse defense and settlement costs. Did you know Boy Scouts registration fees increased in the 1980s and 1990s to offset rising insurance premiums due in part to sexual abuse claims against the Mormon church? In 2003, the LDS church’s director of risk management, Paul…
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On May 28, an Oregon judge refused to compel former Mormon family physician David B. Farley to answer questions about his church involvement. More than 150 women and girls are suing the former doctor and stake high council member for alleged sexual abuse. Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a113/
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Last week, a Utah judge replaced a child sexual exploiter’s prison sentence with 112 days in jail and 48 months probation, saying he was “not yet a 75-year-old Mormon bishop who is perpetrating on children and grandchildren.” FLOODLIT has found 30 ex-bishops convicted of CSA-related crimes in Utah. On May 20, 22-year-old Aidan Hoffman was…
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Case update on Bill Harding: https://floodlit.org/a/a947/
FLOODLIT has learned of three more settlements the Mormon church paid after alleged sexual abuse of children. 1. $1.5 Million in 2019 in Riverside County, California (case RIC181995). An employee sexually abused a minor attending daycare on church property. Plaintiff Law firm: Estey & Bomberger 2. $500,000 in 2010 – location unknown. Law firm: Nye, Stirling,…
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Part of a series of Floodlit special reports on lawsuits alleging sexual abuse coverups by Mormon officials. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has filed an appeal after losing a lawsuit against insurance companies regarding more than $27 million in legal defense costs and $32 million in child sex abuse settlement payments to…
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Part of a series of Floodlit special reports on lawsuits alleging sexual abuse coverups by Mormon officials. FLOODLIT.org, an independent newsroom investigating sexual abuse in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has learned that the church is now on the verge of settling more than 100 claims of sexual abuse filed since August…
DetailsDavid McConkie, a former Mormon bishop and stake president in Colorado, has admitted to attempted sexual assault on a child as part of a proposed plea deal. In 2023, McConkie was charged with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. He confessed to a church leader in 2008, according to…
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Part of a series of Floodlit special reports on lawsuits alleging sexual abuse coverups by Mormon officials. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has lost a civil lawsuit against insurance companies over settlement payments it made to six West Virginia families in 2018 regarding allegations that Mormon officials hid child sexual abuse allegations…
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Part of a series of Floodlit special reports on lawsuits alleging sexual abuse coverups by Mormon officials. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints won a key battle last week against roughly 100 plaintiffs who say it covered up their sexual abuse. Most were children at the time of the alleged abuse. This article…
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FLOODLIT.org is sharing details about Gary Joseph Hawkins (Joe Hawkins), a 44-year-old Aurora, Utah firefighter charged in 2024 with child sexual exploitation, including possessing and distributing child sex abuse material. (pictured above: former Mormon bishop and Utah police officer David Moss) We’re also seeking info: Does anyone know about Hawkins’s religious affiliation or possible Mormon…
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FLOODLIT.org, an independent newsroom investigating sexual abuse in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, broke the story last week that the church spent nearly $60 million over five years to defend and settle a lawsuit filed in 2013 by six West Virginia families who said church leaders covered up the abuse of their…
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FLOODLIT.org, an independent newsroom investigating sexual abuse in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has learned that the church spent nearly $60 million over five years to defend and settle a 2013 West Virginia lawsuit by child sexual abuse victims. The church, widely known as the Mormon church, racked up $27 million in…
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Doug Richens (Douglas G Richens) was arrested this week and charged with several crimes related to sexual abuse of children. Details at his case report: Doug Richens Mormon sex abuse case
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Report: https://floodlit.org/a/a780/ Download the court document: https://floodlit.org/bassett-2024-motion-dismiss/ In June 2024, Mormon church member and former air traffic controller Alan Bassett was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing several children between 1977 and 1989 in Fruit Heights, Utah. Investigators said the victims ranged in age at the time between 5 and 10 years old. Bassett reportedly told…
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded to a Mar. 2 San Diego Union-Tribune article on at least 91 recently filed civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse perpetration or coverup by California church officials. The church, commonly known as the LDS or Mormon church, said in response to the suits, “Each of these specific…
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Keaton Tanner was arrested. Case report
FLOODLIT.org has launched an initiative to provide free access to court documents tied to sex crimes allegedly committed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon/LDS) and claims of mishandling by church officials. We’ve tracked thousands of accused individuals in such cases. Recently, nearly 100 lawsuits hit the Mormon church in…
DetailsDavid McConkie case report: https://floodlit.org/a/a720/
In a lawsuit filed Jan. 27 against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a man says he was sexually assaulted by a church volunteer during an anointing ceremony at the Los Angeles California Temple in 1984. The case (2:25-cv-00703-RGK-E) was filed in the Central California District Court. FLOODLIT has obtained a copy of…
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Today, KUTV altered a news headline and article text to remove Mormon church references 3 hours after reporting on an LDS youth temple prep instructor and mission leader charged with multiple felonies stemming from an undercover police sting operation. He allegedly attempted to meet a 13-year-old for sexual assault. The accused, Paul Spencer, was a…
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FLOODLIT.org is announcing the launch of a new volunteer-driven project to locate, compile and index information about instances of sexual abuse or other sex crimes allegedly perpetrated by leaders or active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon Church). We recently surpassed 4,000 published case reports, and we need help adding…
DetailsWe need help compiling information from court documents and news articles. If you would like to help, please contact us right away. Thank you so much. It’s time.
DetailsBREAKING Oct. 12, 2024 – FLOODLIT.org has learned of a new wave of 91 child sex abuse lawsuits filed against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California. Starting on Aug. 26, the Slater Slater Schulman LLP law firm filed 91 civil suits in 26 California counties, each on behalf of a different…
DetailsWe just reached a significant milestone: 1,000 published case reports. We will continue to shine a light!
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We’ve updated the Craig Harward case report with details from a lawsuit filed in California this week against the Mormon church and Harward. The plaintiff claimed that Harward repeatedly took her out of Sunday school classes and molested her in other rooms of their LDS church building between 2000 and 2001, when she was 12…
DetailsPlease let us know what you think: https://floodlit.org/accused/ We aim to be the most comprehensive, useful resource we possibly can to help raise awareness about sexual abuse in the LDS church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). If you’d like to report a sex crime by a person who was an active LDS church…
DetailsNearly 300 victims have come forward, but he’s not been charged … until now. Case report: https://floodlit.org/a/a038/
DetailsBlackfoot, Idaho “avid church-goer” Eric Jones was sentenced on Mar. 26 to two to 20 years in prison after being found guilty by a jury of felony battery with intent to commit lewd conduct with a minor. He reportedly said he’d “just given into his urges” by touching a toddler. He admitted his crime to…
DetailsCase details: https://floodlit.org/a/a678/
This list includes 6 former bishops, 2 stake presidents (+2 SP counselors), 1 branch president, 4 primary/youth leaders, 3 attorneys, 3 politicians, 1 police officer, 1 hospital CIO, & the man who inspired “Sound of Freedom” movie. Who are we missing? Complete list Rexburg, Idaho LDS church member accused of breaking and entering women’s apartments…
DetailsWe’ve added a new database of instances where Mormon church members failed or allegedly failed to help sex abuse victims. Failure Database Report a Failure
DetailsWe’ve added 2023 events to our timeline page.
Case report: https://floodlit.org/a/a866/ The AP’s Mike Rezendes has a new scathing report about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an apparent sexual abuse coverup. The Mormon church offered $300,000 to a child sex abuse victim in exchange for her agreement not to use her story as the basis of a civil lawsuit…
DetailsCase report: https://floodlit.org/a/a852/
If you’re here from Reddit on Oct. 20, 2025, please say hello. We love and appreciate you! Scott Owen (1959 – ) was a Mormon bishop (twice), stake presidency counselor and therapist in Provo, Utah. Owen was accused by at least seven former patients of sexually abusing them during sessions, and by a relative (alleged…
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Bryant Litchfield case report: https://floodlit.org/a/a825/
We need to get about 450 more cases listed in order to reach our goal. We’ve got them all in “pending” status while we review details. If you’d like to help, please contact us.
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Watch or listen to this 36-hour MARATHON podcast hosted by Maven, with volunteers from around the world reading cases from the FLOODLIT.org database live on air!
Case details Case report video on TikTok
DetailsDavid Lee Hamblin case details Roselle Anderson Stevenson case details (formerly Roselle Hamblin) Ritualistic sex abuse cases involving LDS church members
DetailsDetails: https://floodlit.org/a/a272/
Check it out: https://floodlit.org/recently-updated/ Examples: Michael Clay Wade Schvaneveldt Michael Lister
DetailsDetails: https://floodlit.org/a/a352/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a068/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a612/
Details: Read this Mormon sexual abuse survivor story
Details: Read the story
Details: https://floodlit.org/upcoming/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a610/ Thank you so much for supporting FLOODLIT and helping us shine a light.
DetailsDetails: https://floodlit.org/find-sex-offenders/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a586/
Details: https://floodlit.org/failure/
Details: Missionary in Guatemala Abuse Curtis Crittenden case: https://floodlit.org/a/a598/
DetailsRead the story here: Story: High Priest Pervert FLOODLIT wishes to thank, from the bottom of our hearts, this abuse survivor, and all survivors, who have shared their stories with us. We hope they help you find healing and a sense that you’re not alone.
DetailsDetails: Read the Mormon abuse survivor’s story
Link: https://floodlit.org/a/a023/ FLOODLIT would like to thank Jan Broberg for replying to us on Facebook and giving us additional details to add to Berchtold’s listing.
DetailsDetails: https://floodlit.org/a/a596/
Details: https://floodlit.org/recently-updated/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a576/
Thank you to the anonymous person who mailed it to us. This 348-page directory contains names of all LDS church (Mormon church) leaders from 1986 – worldwide! We will use it to help us research court cases and allegations of sexual abuse involving church members and leaders. If you’d like to send us things by…
DetailsDate of hearing: 2023-03-22 2023-03-15: There is an upcoming remote hearing in this case, on 2023-03-22. The public may attend online. We hope everyone joins this call!
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also posted on Reddit Index: https://floodlit.org/lpc/crime-bishop/ If you’re looking for a list of former Mormon bishops who were ever publicly accused of sex crimes (regardless of when the alleged criminal acts took place), that’s here: https://floodlit.org/lpe/ever-bishop/ Have you ever heard LDS church members say something like, “That abuse doesn’t really count, because he didn’t do…
DetailsWe got a tip from an anonymous person and updated Whitaker’s case details: https://floodlit.org/a/a418/
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Case details: https://floodlit.org/a/a248/ The 20 letters aren’t posted there, but I might redact them and do that if there’s enough interest. They’re from family and friends of a man who was busted on Valentine’s Day in 2019, trying to solicit undercover cops for sex. At the time of his arrest, he was serving as bishop…
DetailsAdded photo and case disposition details. Keith Benjamin Knutson
DetailsHearing set for 2023-04-04. Anastasia Elizabeth Blansett Dawson
DetailsImproved advanced search page, much faster name search, new page about mission presidents, and more!
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a527/
details: https://floodlit.org/a/a522/
details: https://floodlit.org/a/a521/
Sykes has pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse. https://floodlit.org/a/a074/
Visit the Settlements page for more information about times the LDS church has paid settlement amounts in response to allegations of sexual abuse by its members.
Added photo, settlement info: https://floodlit.org/a/a183/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a085/
Profile: https://floodlit.org/a/a118/
Added details, photo: https://floodlit.org/a/a109/
Convicted child molester: https://floodlit.org/a/a515/
Now we’re at 170-plus published. Reviewing hundreds of others.
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a125/
Details: https://floodlit.org/a/a186/
https://floodlit.org/a/a031/