URGENT: Please contact Floodlit if you are a survivor or know a survivor of alleged sexual abuse by Wade Christofferson, if you have any information about his history in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or if you personally knew him. Thank you so much!
BREAKING NEWS FROM FLOODLIT.ORG Nov. 25, 2025, 10:45 pm ET – After communicating with four alleged victims and relatives of two other alleged victims of child sexual abuse by Wade Christofferson, Floodlit has learned:
- Mormon apostle D. Todd Christofferson allegedly knew as early as 2018 that his brother Wade Christofferson allegedly sexually abused a child in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- Wade Christofferson has at least nine to 12 alleged child sexual abuse victims dating back to 1985, in three U.S. states (Illinois, Ohio and Utah).
- According to multiple alleged victims and their relatives, Wade Christofferson was excommunicated in the 1990s, several years after church officials first became aware of allegations of child sexual abuse against him.
- Wade Christofferson was rebaptized into the Mormon church, and church officials removed an annotation on Wade Christofferson’s church membership record, allowing him access to children at church, according to multiple alleged victims and relatives.
- Between 2006 and 2025, the Mormon church assigned Wade Christofferson to work in three ward bishoprics and two other church leadership positions, according to records obtained by Floodlit.
- Two bishops and a stake president in the 1990s and an area authority seventy in 2025 all allegedly knew prior to Wade Christofferson’s 2025 arrest that he had allegedly perpetrated child sexual abuse. Another stake president allegedly confirmed in 2024 that he knew the church had placed and then rescinded child protection measures against Wade Christofferson. None of these five church officials told police about the alleged abuse, according to alleged victims. In at least four instances (both bishops, the 2024 stake president and the 2025 area authority seventy), alleged victims told Floodlit they reported their abuse personally to church officials.
Federal charges against Wade Christofferson announced today pertain to alleged sexual abuse of two children since 2010, but Floodlit’s research has uncovered a much more expansive set of allegations.
In the past week, Floodlit.org has helped three alleged victims and relatives of two other alleged victims in this case to get in touch with other, prompting a cascade of revelations.
Floodlit has compiled a timeline of events in Christofferson’s life, including alleged child sexual abuse, based on communication with alleged victims and on court and church records we’ve obtained. For a full timeline and case updates, please view our case report on Wade Christofferson.
Wade Christofferson case report »
Why was there no mainstream news coverage of this story from Nov. 20 to Nov. 25?
On Nov. 20, Floodlit.org broke the story that Wade Christofferson, brother of Mormon church apostle Todd Christofferson, was arrested pending federal charges for alleged child sexual abuse.
We also broke the story that the church excommunicated, then rebaptized Wade Christofferson and placed him in at least three bishoprics with access to children, according to multiple reports to Floodlit by abuse survivors or their relatives, and according to church records obtained by Floodlit.
While the mainstream media remained silent for five days, we spoke with several alleged victims and their relatives, and gathered information about the allegations against Wade Christofferson, and about what Mormon officials knew and did in response.
This experience is not new for Floodlit. We’ve broken numerous stories that received no mainstream coverage. Examples:
- BREAKING: Mormon church accused of omitting 19 pages of evidence in “deeply disingenuous” attempt to stop sexual abuse lawsuit after rejected $250M immunity bid
- BREAKING: “There is no ‘sexual abuse’ file,” Mormon church risk manager declared in 2023 lawsuit
- Rinse & Repeat: Mormon church trying to force BSA victim to dismiss sex abuse lawsuit
- $59 million, five years: what Mormon officials spent to stop a sex abuse lawsuit
- Timeline: LDS church sued insurers to collect $90 million, after settling 5-year-long child sex abuse suit
- Where are the letters? Alleged sex abuse coverup by Mormon First Presidency
- Findings re: Mormon official’s declaration on church knowledge of sexual abuse
- Uncovering the Mormon Church’s Knowledge of Child Sexual Abuse: The 1984 Lawsuit
- For 26 years (1963-89), LDS-BSA top execs knew of “perversion files,” but allegedly did not tell LDS church
We’ve also been the first to break stories where we provided more details and access to court documents not seen in subsequent mainstream reports. Examples:
- BREAKING: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints faces 91 new child sexual abuse lawsuits in California
- BREAKING: Washington lawsuit says Mormon church covered up child sexual abuse by convicted priest
- BREAKING: 211 plaintiffs file new lawsuit against Provo, Utah Mormon OB/GYN David Broadbent
- BREAKING: Mormon Church Nears Massive Settlement of Over 100 Sexual Abuse Claims
- BREAKING: Mormon church files appeal after losing civil suit against sex abuse insurers
In November 2025, Floodlit’s work was featured in the docuseries Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay.
Help FLOODLIT Report on Latter-day Saint Sexual Abuse Cases
As an independent newsroom, FLOODLIT relies on your generous support to make thousands of reports of sexual abuse in the Mormon church available. If you find our work helpful, please consider donating! Thank you so much for helping us raise awareness on this difficult and important topic.
