3 LDS sex abuse cases found
Alleged church action: Church officials allegedly gave the accused some kind of church responsibility, even if not a formal calling or position, after the accused admitted wrongdoing
- Church action: Officials allegedly gave the accused a church duty after admission of wrongdoing
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- Melvin Johnson (1936 – ) was a Mormon seminary teacher and Brigham Young University (BYU) religion professor; accused by multiple victims of sexually abusing them when they were children; excommunicated and rebaptized; reportedly confessed to sexual abuse, but was not criminally charged; two victims filed lawsuits against him; one named the Mormon church as a defendant; it settled out of court
Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s, 
Alleged crime state:
California, Utah,
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LDS positions: BYU, Church employee, Other leader, Seminary teacher, Stake high council, - Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
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Church paid $unknown
Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Excommunicated, Officials allegedly gave the accused a church duty after admission of wrongdoing, Rebaptized, Ward official accused of failure to report, - View report »
Alleged crime state:
excommunicated, rebaptized with a church record flagging him as a sex offender; top Mormon officials later removed the annotation
"We didn't choose this. It happened to us. It wasn't our choice. But we're damn sure going to do something about it."
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- Timothy Phelps (1961 – ) was a Mormon church member in Morgantown, Kentucky; convicted of sexual abuse
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Florida,
Convicted:
1995, 
LDS positions: Ward executive secretary, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, 
Alleged church actions: Church position after conviction, Officials allegedly gave the accused a church duty after admission of wrongdoing, Unknown church action, -
- Jeffrey Rock (1955 – ) was a former Mormon branch president and U.S. State Department employee; lived in California, Utah, Fiji and Thailand; pleaded guilty in 2025 to three charges of sexual battery; sentenced in February 2026 in Utah to 18 months in jail; the Mormon church knew about alleged child sex abuse but failed multiple times over years to alert civil authorities, according to Rock’s relatives
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
California, Utah,
- Crime country:
Thailand,
Crime country:
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Branch president, Elders quorum, Nursery, Primary, Scout leader, Stake high council, temple liaison, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, 
Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of allowing interaction with children after notice of wrongdoing, Counseling/therapy for victim, Disfellowshipped, High-level official accused of failure to report, Officials allegedly gave the accused a church duty after admission of wrongdoing, Ward official accused of failure to report, Mormon officials were accused of failure to report Rock’s sexual abuse of children
"Myself, my mom and my sister reached out to the LDS Church for help. He lied to them. They protected him with misguided mercy."
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