85 LDS sex abuse cases found
Alleged church action: Church officials excommunicated the accused
- Church action: Excommunicated
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- James Adams (1954 – ) was a Mormon church member in Beckley, West Virginia; sentenced to prison in 1994 for sexually abusing multiple children; in 1996, a $750 million lawsuit was filed against the Mormon church alleging coverup; the suit was settled out of court in 2000
Crime: 1980s, 
Crime state:
West Virginia,
-
- Convicted:
1994,
LDS positions: Other leader, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, - Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
Crime state:
Abuse went on for five years after Adams first told Mormon officials, including a bishop and stake president, the lawsuit said
"The church is not in the business of covering up."
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- Paul Adams (1982 – 2017) was an LDS church member in Arizona; sexually abused two children for several years after confessing to his bishop; arrested and charged; died by suicide in 2017 while in custody awaiting trial; as of October 2025, a lawsuit against the church is ongoing
- Alleged crime: 2010s,
- Alleged crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Not active LDS, Unknown position, 
Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Died awaiting trial, Not convicted, Suicide, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, 
Alleged failure to report2025: Arizona Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit v. the Mormon church
"They said, 'You absolutely can do nothing.'
"
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- Leizza Adams was the wife of sexual abuser Paul Douglas Adams; sentenced in 2018 in Arizona to 2.5 years in prison after pleading no contest to two felony counts of child abuse (not sexual abuse)
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2018, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- Terry Allen (1943 – ) was an LDS church member in California; in 1987, was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to six years in prison; was assigned to multiple trusted church positions, including Sunday school president, despite the Mormon church being aware that he had raped a teenager; LDS leaders were accused of hiding his abuse from local church members; as of 2024, lives in Grapevine, Texas
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
California, Connecticut,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Other leader, Stake high council, Sunday school, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Alleged failure to report-
- Michael Angus (1944 – ) was an LDS church member in Star, Idaho; convicted of possession of sexually explicit images of minors in 2012; was accused of sexually abusing two young girls; had created and possessed CSAM of one of the victims; is a registered sex offender lives in Twin Falls, Idaho.
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime city:
Star,
- Crime county:
Ada,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Crime city:
Crime county:
Convicted:
2012, LDS positions: Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Prison, -
- Michael Antrobus (1947 – 2023) was a former Mormon branch president (similar to a bishop) and bishop in Connersville, Indiana for 10 years (approximately 1974-84); convicted of child sexual abuse charges (9 counts, 6 victims) in Sacramento County, California in 2021-2022; sentenced to 8 years in San Quentin State Prison; died by suicide in prison in September 2023; allegedly had at least a dozen victims
- Convicted:
2021, 2022,
- LDS positions: Bishop, Branch president, Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Arlo Atkin (1956 – ) was a former LDS bishop in or near Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona; accused of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl in his ward while he was her bishop; pleaded guilty, spent 132 days in jail
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Violated parole/probation, Civil case(s): Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Timothy Ballard (1976 – ) was a Mormon anti-sex trafficking activist; claimed to be friends with LDS apostle Russell Ballard (no relation); accused in 2023 of sexual misconduct by at least eight women and a couple; in June 2024, one civil case was dismissed; in July 2024, a lawsuit said his DNA was found on a victim’s skirt
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil case(s): Ongoing,
- View report »
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- Alan Bassett (1948 – ) was a Mormon church member and air traffic controller in Fruit Heights, Utah; accused in a 2019 civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse (dismissed without prejudice); charged in June 2024 with child sexual abuse; over 80 victims came forward; admitted to molesting many neighbor girls; tried to get his case dismissed due to an unsigned 1989 agreement with a deputy Davis County attorney
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Davis,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Other leader, Scout leader, Ward clerk, Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Civil case(s): Dismissed without prejudice, Alleged failure to reportDozens of women told the court Bassett abused them as children; he attempted to get the case dismissed
"Why didn't they call us in? Why didn’t they call the kids in?"
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- Arthur Bishop (1952 – 1988) was a Mormon boy scout leader in Utah; was excommunicated in the 1970s; later molested multiple children and killed five young boys; was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 1988
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Missionary, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- Gordon Bodily (1949 – ) was a Mormon bishop and physical education teacher in Hyrum, Cache Valley, Utah; accused in 2000 of luring a 17-year-old North Carolina girl to Utah for sex while serving as an LDS bishop; sentenced in 2001 to 21 months in federal prison
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2001, LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to report
LDS positions: Seminary teacher, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Unknown result, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Duane Brown (1955 – ) was a Mormon church member in Wellsville, Utah; arrested and charged with AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD - 1st Degree Felony in February 2026; this case is ongoing as of February 2026
- Alleged crime: 1990s, 2010s,
- Alleged crime city:
Brigham City, Wellsville,
- Alleged crime county:
Box Elder, UT - Cache,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
Criminal case(s): Ongoing, -
- Raphael Caccioppoli (1971 – ) was a Mormon Sunday school teacher, lawyer and Justice Ministry judicial officer in New Zealand; confessed sex crime behavior to a Mormon bishop in 1998; LDS leaders did not tell police or local parents of children he was left alone to supervise; turned himself in to police in 2007; sentenced to five years in jail for child sexual abuse and animal sex abuse (bestiality)
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime country:
New Zealand,
Crime country:
Convicted:
2008, LDS positions: Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Alleged failure to report-
- David Cannata (1965 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Tucson, Arizona in 2005 when he sexually abused a child who was 5 or 6 years old; was a stake high council member sometime in the 2010s; was confronted by the victim and turned himself into the police; convicted in 2019 and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison; was excommunicated from the Mormon church because of the abuse
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2019, LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- James Chapman (1935 – 2022) was a Mormon church member in Utah; convicted via plea agreement in 1991 of third-degree felony attempted sexual abuse of a child; sentenced to two weeks in jail and 18 months probation; pleaded guilty in 2000 to two second-degree felony counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child; sentenced to one to 15 years in prison; registered sex offender; died in 2022
- Convicted:
1991, 2000,
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Probation, Registered sex offender, Released,
- View report »
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Unknown result, -
- Wade Christofferson (1953 – ) was an LDS church member accused of sexually assaulting nine to 12 children in Illinois, Ohio and Utah starting in 1985; charged in 2025 with child sexual abuse (alleged between about 2016-25); excommunicated in 1990s, rebaptized, assigned to leadership positions, including bishopric counselor; brother of apostle Todd Christofferson, who allegedly knew by 2018 about abuse
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2010s, 2020s,
- Alleged crime state:
Illinois, Ohio, Utah,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Sunday school, Ward clerk, Criminal case(s): Not convicted, Ongoing, Police investigation, Alleged failure to report"If you are a Survivor, please know you are not alone. You deserve to be heard and supported. If you are not a Survivor, please remember that, for many, Surviving is a daily battle. We call them Survivors for a reason."
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- Francis Cochran (1921 – 2005) was a Mormon high priest in the Seattle 6th Ward in Seattle, Washington in the 1980s; convicted twice in the 1980s of crimes related to sexual abuse of multiple children; allegedly assaulted multiple young girls on LDS property, including during church meetings; a 2025 lawsuit (Floodlit broke the story) said stake president Paul Diehl & multiple ward bishops covered up allegations against Cochran
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime city:
WA - Seattle,
- Crime county:
WA - King,
- Crime state:
Washington,
Convicted:
1987, 1988, LDS positions: High priest, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportStake president and two LDS bishops allegedly covered up abuse allegations
"Despite numerous red flags, Defendants continued to give High Priest Cochran access to minor church members. Defendants allowed High Priest Cochran to continue to attend and volunteer at church events, including those attended by minors. Defendants also allowed High Priest Cochran to continue to transport young girls, including vulnerable refugee girls, to and from church events."
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- Martyn Conway was a Mormon church member in England; pleaded guilty of child sexual abuse; twin brother of John Patrick Conway, who also perpetrated child sexual abuse against the same victim
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime country:
England, United Kingdom,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, -
- Benjamin Covey (1792 – 1868) was a Mormon church member in the 1840s and 1850s; in 1848, was excommunicated for having sexual intercourse with two girls "less than Twelve years of age" who were his foster daughters; was rebaptized and soon thereafter was made bishop of the Salt Lake City Twelfth Ward from 22 February 1849 until 1856
- Crime: 1840s,
- Crime state:
Nebraska,
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Convicted, -
- Gordon Crawford was an LDS church member in Australia; accused of sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- View report »
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- Franklyn Curtis (1903 – 1995) was a Mormon church member in Pennsylvania and Oregon; excommunicated in 1983 in Pennsylvania for sex abuse; rebaptized in 1984; molested five boys in Oregon; local LDS bishop knew but didn't report to police; convicted in 1995 in Oregon of sexual abuse; died in 1995
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Oregon, Pennsylvania,
LDS positions: High priest, Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to 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
- Convicted:
2013,
- LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Probation, Registered sex offender, Violated parole/probation,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- John Doe (1945 – ) was a Mormon church member in Vernon, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; in 2012, pled guilty to three charges of sexual abuse of a child, a second-degree felony; was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of probation
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime city:
crime-city-ut-vernon,
- Crime county:
crime-county-ut-tooele,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2012, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Alleged failure to reportLDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Alleged failure to report-
- Michael Driggs (1950 – ) was a Mormon missionary in Brazil in the early 1970s; allegedly sent to a different mission in the United States after being found having inappropriate relationships with young boys; convicted of child sexual abuse in 1985 in Arizona; convicted again of child sexual abuse in 2013 in Utah; he met his victim in the Utah case at church, according to court documents
- Crime: 1980s, 2000s,
- Crime county:
AZ - Maricopa, UT - Salt Lake,
- Crime state:
Arizona, Utah,
Convicted:
2013, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Alleged failure to report-
- Edwin Dyer (1935 – 1986) was a Mormon church member and scoutmaster in central Oregon; accused of sexual abuse; allegedly molested as many as 15 boys over a 28-year period; convicted in 1985 of two misdemeanors related to sexual abuse; shot and killed in 1986 by one of his victims; the Mormon church settled out of court for $200,000 with one victim
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
Oregon,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to reportChurch officials asked Dyer to resign as scoutmaster and later disfellowshipped and excommunicated him, but allegedly did not tell police
"Until we use names, until people understand that this happened to Johnny next door, it will keep on happening."
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- Rowan Ellsworth (1948 – ) was an LDS church member and schoolteacher in Arizona; allegedly molested a 14-year-old girl at an LDS girls camp in mid-1990; the abuse was reported to a bishop Burgess, who allegedly failed to report to police, but instead encouraged the victim to forgive; sentenced to prison in 1999 for two counts of child sexual abuse; released in 2007
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime county:
AZ - Maricopa,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Released, Alleged failure to report-
- 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
- Convicted:
2018,
- LDS positions: Branch president,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Alfred Forrester (1936 – 2013) was a Mormon church member in California; excommunicated in the 1950s after conviction for child molestation; moved to Iowa, reoffended, incarcerated; returned to California, convicted once or twice more, then assigned to be a Mormon church scoutmaster; abused again, caught, sentenced to prison in 1979; a 2024 lawsuit against the LDS church alleged that a bishop failed to protect kids
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,
- Crime state:
California, Iowa,
Convicted:
1956, 1960, 1966, 1979, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Probation, Registered sex offender, Released, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report2024 lawsuit said Mormon church excommunicated Forrester after child sex abuse conviction, then later re-baptized him and assigned him to work with kids
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- William Gillespie (1936 – ) was an LDS church member in Montgomery, Alabama; accused of reaching inside the swimsuits of two girls and fondling them in his backyard pool in 1987; convicted in 1988 of three charges of first-degree sexual abuse and sentenced to one year in prison, plus four years of probation; conviction was reversed on appeal, then upheld; was allegedly excommunicated from the Mormon church
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Alabama,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Overturned/reversed, Prison, Probation, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Scott Gollaher was an LDS church member in Utah; sentenced to prison for child sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Missionary, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
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- David Gomez (1946 – ) was an LDS bishop in West Valley City, Utah in the late 1980s and early 1990s; allegedly raped, sodomized and fondled several boys he met as their bishop; charged in 2004 with six felonies; charges were dropped in 2005 due to statutes of limitations issues; church officials excommunicated Gomez, but allegedly failed to report to civil authorities for six or seven months
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Alleged crime city:
crime-city-ut-west-valley,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Charges dropped, Expunged, Not convicted, Police investigation, Alleged failure to reportDespite excommunicating Gomez, church officials did not tell police of the alleged abuse for six or seven months until his 2004 arrest
"We'd like to keep this low key."
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- Kenneth Good (1950 – ) was a Mormon church member in Georgia; accused of molesting 4 underage girls; pleaded guilty of child sexual abuse; sentenced in 1991 to 8 years in prison; released on parole in December 1993; as of 2023, lives in Taylorsville Utah
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Georgia,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Released, -
- John Goodrich (1959 – ) was a former Mormon bishop and dentist in Idaho; accused of child sexual abuse and of having nonconsensual sex with a woman he admitting to drugging; given a withheld judgment; in 2023, the AP reported that the church paid $300,000 to a victim and her mother under conditions of secrecy; in 2024, a criminal case opened in Virginia; in December 2025, another alleged victim sued the church
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Idaho, Virginia,
Convicted:
2017, LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Charges dropped, Convicted, Ongoing, Withheld judgment, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Jay Grant (1902 – 1988) was a Mormon bishop of the Adams Ward in Los Angeles, California; charged in 1981, at age 79, with five counts of forcible sexual abuse; sexually assaulted three young girls; convicted of all five counts; died in 1988 in Orem, Utah; ran "Grandpa Grant's Memory Club," a neighborhood study group for up to 175 LDS children; Grant sometimes had "students" spend the night at his apartment
- LDS positions: Bishop, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- View report »
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- 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
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Texas,
Convicted:
2000, LDS positions: High priest, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- Steven Hammock (1941 – ) was an LDS church member in Utah; pleaded guilty in 1983 to two counts of forcible sex abuse of a child and served six months in an inpatient treatment facility; the LDS church excommunicated him, but during a civil suit filed in 1989 by the victim, it refused to divulge information that Hammock gave to church officials; in 1997, a federal judge awarded $150,000 in damages to the victim
- LDS positions: Scout leader, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
landmark abuse case in Utah
"When is everyone going to realize that this shit's got to stop?"
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- William Harding (1940 – ) was a Mormon branch president, elders quorum president and ward clerk in Tasmania and Queensland, Australia; charged in or before 2023 with multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor in two states in Australia; allegedly had as many as 40 victims; in 2024, pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced to 9 months in jail in Brisbane; in 2025, faced new charges in Tasmania
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime country:
Australia,
LDS positions: Branch president, Ward clerk, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Ongoing, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Alleged failure to report-
- David Herget (1943 – 2005) was a Mormon high priest in Washington; convicted of child rape and child molestation in 1993; sentenced to 180 days in jail and was a registered sex offender; arrested in 2005, died by suicide in jail the next day; detectives identified at least seven victims; one child estimated that Herget abused him 1,400 times; in a 2025 lawsuit against the church, four plaintiffs said officials failed them
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime county:
WA - King,
- Crime state:
Washington,
Convicted:
1993, LDS positions: High priest, Seminary teacher, Ward Santa Claus, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Died awaiting trial, Jail, Prison, Registered sex offender, Suicide, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportone boy estimated that Herget abused him 1,400 times
"This isn't a case of ignorance, it's a case of betrayal. The church knew exactly who this man was and what he had done. Nonetheless, they gave a convicted predator a position of trust and authority, which allowed him to exercise power over young boys. These kids deserved safety. Instead, they were left vulnerable to unimaginable harm."
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- 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
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Bishop, Stake president, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- James Hogan (1937 – ) was a Mormon scout leader in California and Oregon; in 1989, was sentenced to five years in prison for child sexual abuse; in 1989, two teenagers sued the church and Hogan (settled 1990); in 2002, two men sued the church and the BSA (church settled for $800,000 and $75,000); in 2011, a man sued the BSA for $5.2 million (he previously settled with the church); in all, 12 alleged victims 1967-1989
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
California, Oregon,
Convicted:
1989, LDS positions: Church employee, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Released, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Caleb Horner was an LDS church member in Melbourne, Australia; arrested in November 2021 and accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy he met in 2020; found guilty in 2024 of two counts of sexual assault by touch of a child under 16; sentenced in October 2024 to three years "community corrections," avoiding additional jail time
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jail, Ongoing,
- View report »
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- Roy Hunt (1959 – ) was a Mormon church member in Maricopa County, Arizona; former city manager in Snowflake and Holbrook and a public finance banker at the National Bank of Arizona; accused of child sexual abuse in 2004; pleaded guilty in 2005 to a reduced charge; sentenced to prison in Arizona in 2005
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime county:
AZ - Maricopa,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to 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
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime city:
MD - Bethesda,
- Crime state:
Maine, Maryland, North Carolina,
Convicted:
2002, LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Ronald Jenkins (1942 – ) was a Mormon scout leader, bishopric counselor and stake high council member in Idaho; worked as a high school teacher; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in 1996 of 10 counts of lewd conduct with a minor; sentenced to 17 years in prison; registered sex offender
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Scout leader, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Alleged failure to report-
- Kenneth Jenks (1941 – ) was an LDS church member in California (Milpitas Ward); was a ward executive secretary and ward librarian; charged with sexual abuse; convicted; served 14 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor under duress; three victims sued the LDS church, claiming it knew about Jenks's abuse but allowed him to work with children
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Christopher Jensen (1991 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah and West Virginia; sentenced to 35 to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing two children; local LDS church coverup alleged; LDS church settled civil lawsuit mid-trial in 2018 for $32 million, also spending over $27 million on legal fees; FLOODLIT.org discovered the settlement details in 2025 and made them public for the first time
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah, West Virginia,
Convicted:
2013, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- 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 city:
UT - Provo,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Alleged crime state:
California, Utah,
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 reportexcommunicated, 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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- Kenneth Johnson was a Mormon church member and home teacher in Beaverton, Oregon; a victim filed a $55.7 million lawsuit against the Mormon church saying Johnson had sexually molested him when Johnson was his home teacher; the alleged sexual abuse took place as often as twice a week for two years between 1987 and 1989
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
Oregon,
LDS positions: Ministering/home teacher, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Eric Knight (1968 – ) was an LDS church member; former physician; pleaded guilty in 2021 in New Hampshire to two felony counts of second-degree assault in a plea deal that would allow him to get his medical license back and avoid the sex offender registry
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
New Hampshire,
Convicted:
2021, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result, -
- Steven Layland (1946 – ) was a Mormon church member in Tampa, Florida; in 2000 was federally convicted for sending child pornography in the mail
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2000, LDS positions: High priest group leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, guilty, -
- George Lee (1943 – 2010) was a Mormon general authority in Utah; member of the First Quorum of the Seventy from 1975 to 1989; in 1994, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual abuse of a child, a third-degree felony; registered sex offender; died in 2010
- LDS positions: General authority, Mission president, Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Major Madon was an LDS church member in Mapleton, Utah; convicted of child sexual abuse; as of 2024, serving time in prison in Central Utah Correctional Facility
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Nursery, Stake high council, Sunday school, Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender,
- View report »
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- Michael McClellan (1957 – ) was an LDS church member in Las Vegas, Nevada; arrested; convicted of attempted lewdness with a minor; sentenced to prison; as of 2024, lives in Cottonwood, Arizona
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Nevada,
Convicted:
2004, LDS positions: Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, -
- Richard McClung (1943 – 2026) was a Mormon bishopric counselor in Rockford, Illinois in 2006; convicted in 2007 and 2014 of charges related to child sexual abuse; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl on church property in 2006 despite facing criminal charges at the time and remaining in the bishopric; died in plane crash Feb. 14, 2026 in Poplar Grove, Illinois
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime city:
Rockford,
- Crime county:
crime-county-il-winnebago,
- Crime state:
Illinois,
Convicted:
2007, 2014, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Maynard McFarland (1959 – ) was an LDS church member in California and Minnesota; sentenced in 2005 to 32 years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter for many years; released from prison in 2020; as of 2024, lives in Chula Vista, California as a registered sex offender
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
California, Minnesota,
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Civil case(s): Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to reportAccording to a 2022 lawsuit, a bishop knew McFarland was abusing his daughter, but didn't report the abuse to police, and continued to let McFarland participate actively in church ceremonies and meetings, including baptizing his daughter
"I allowed Satan to be my lord."
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- Robert Metcalf (1949 – ) was a Mormon in California, Arizona; convicted of child sexual abuse in 1974; sentenced in 1979 to six years in prison; excommunicated; after prison, was rebaptized, made a scout leader and allegedly molested a scout on a campout in about 1987, according to a 1990 civil lawsuit against the LDS church; sentenced in Arizona in 1989 to 37 years in prison; 2020 lawsuit vs. LDS church
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
Arizona, California,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Matthew Nash was a former Mormon missionary from Utah who served a mission in North Carolina in 1999; accused in 2001 of sexually molesting 11 girls while on his mission; pleaded guilty to charges of child sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- View report »
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- Ralph Neeley (1949 – 2020) was an LDS church member in the Beaumont, Texas area; was sentenced in January 1994 to life in prison in Texas for repeated sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl in an LDS chapel during church meetings and in other locations; died in prison in 2020; the Mormon church reportedly paid several million US dollars in a settlement to the victim
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Arkansas, Texas,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Prison, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Gordon Neeley (1935 – 2018) was an LDS church member and daycare owner in Salt Lake City, Utah; pleaded guilty to ATTEMPTED - AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD; convicted; died in 2018
- LDS positions: High priest, Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result,
- View report »
-
- Joseph Neipp was a former LDS bishop in San Jose, California; in 2021, pleaded no contest to four molestation counts and was given an 18-year prison sentence, with credit for the three years he spent in county jail prior to his sentencing; father of convicted Mormon child sexual abuser Samuel Neipp
- Convicted:
2021,
- LDS positions: Bishop,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, No contest, Prison,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Robert Nelson (1949 – ) was an LDS bishop in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; accused of sexual abuse of a "mentally handicapped" woman; pleaded guilty in 1989; placed on two years probation, ordered to do 150 hours of community service, and ordered to take a conducted tour of a local jail
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime country:
Canada,
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Community service, Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Probation, -
- Brett Nichols (1967 – ) was an LDS church member in Arizona; convicted in 2007 of child sexual abuse; sentenced to 10 years in prison; baptized again after excommunication; ward members reportedly were not told of his criminal past when he returned after his prison time
- Convicted:
2007,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
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- David Novak (1951 – ) was an LDS Social Services counselor in Utah who worked for 12 years with child sexual abuse victims; convicted in 1999 of sexually abusing a girl; released from jail after serving about 40 days
- LDS positions: Church employee,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Released,
- View report »
"I will make sure that I will never, ever harm anyone again."
-
- Thomas Opfar (1937 – 1998) was a Mormon church member in Pennsylvania and Utah; pleaded guilty in Utah to charges related to child sexual abuse; sentenced to five to 15 years in prison
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- Grant Packer (1925 – 2008) was an LDS church member in Idaho; served a full-time mission to Canada in 1946-48 and two senior missions to Atlanta, Georgia and San Bernardino, California; charged with child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty; sentenced to three to 10 years in prison and 10 years probation; died in 2008
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Elders quorum, Missionary, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, -
- Chesley Pierson (1928 – 2021) was an LDS bishop, stake presidency counselor and stake patriarch in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; accused of sexually abusing multiple young men
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Alleged crime country:
Canada,
LDS positions: Bishop, Elders quorum, Missionary, Other leader, Stake patriarch, Stake presidency counselor, Criminal case(s): Police investigation, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Errol Pilling (1942 – ) was a Mormon bishop and licensed psychologist in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; went on an LDS mission to England in the early 1960s; pleaded guilty in 1988 and in 1994 to charges of sexual misconduct; in September 1994, his registration as a chartered psychologist with the Psychologists Association of Alberta was cancelled; in 1994, was excommunicated; as of February 2024, lives in Twin Falls, Idaho
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime country:
Canada,
LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Civil case(s): Unknown result, Alleged failure to 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
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime city:
UT - Salt Lake City,
- Crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Mission president, Missionary, Stake high council, Stake president, Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result, Alleged failure to reportThe woman was taken to jail, while Poelman was released immediately.
"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."
-
- Mark Porter (1942 – ) was a Mormon church member and former stake presidency member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 2022 after allegedly groping women in a Logan grocery store; pleaded guilty in December 2022
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime county:
UT - Cache,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2022, LDS positions: Missionary, Other leader, Stake presidency counselor, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, -
- Ryan Rampton (1967 – ) was a Mormon church member in Syracuse, Utah and a Roy Utah fireman; allegedly sexually abused a child from age 4-8; accused of rape in 2017, but prosecutors didn't investigate; charged in October 2025 with AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD - 1st Degree Felony, SODOMY ON A CHILD - 1st Degree Felony and AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD - 1st Degree Felony; trial scheduled October 26, 2026
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing,
- View report »
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- Richard Ray (1942 – 2019) was an LDS church member in Arizona; sentenced in 1984 to 61 years in prison for molesting five girls; allegedly had more than 30 victims; the LDS church was involved in a lawsuit regarding clergy-penitent privilege; the church settled out of court for an undisclosed amount just before trial
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Charles Richmond (1962 – ) was an LDS church member and LDS addiction recovery specialist in Hutchinson, Kansas; convicted of aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =>18 fondle child <14; in prison in Kansas as of 2024
- Convicted:
2019,
- LDS positions: Other leader, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- View report »
Prosecutors said the victim reported her abuse in order to protect another child from getting hurt
"My daughter is hurt … She's angry at the world. [...] She can't quiet the memory of a childhood robbed from her."
-
- Dennis Schult (1935 – ) was a Mormon church member and scout leader in southern California; pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation as part of a plea agreement wherein six other molestation charges were dropped; sentenced in 1991 to eight years in prison for sexually abusing two of his scouts for several years; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Granada Hills, California
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
1991, LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Prison, Registered sex offender, Alleged failure to report-
- Michael Shean (1947 – ) was a Mormon bishopric counselor and temple worker, and deputy district attorney in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California; convicted of sexually molesting boys; sentenced to prison; the Mormon church allegedly made at least one settlement payment to a victim who said a stake president covered up the abuse for years
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Seminary teacher, Temple worker, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Michael Simms was a Latter-day Saints (LDS) church member, organist and music teacher in Oregon; accused in a 2009 civil lawsuit against the LDS church of sexually abusing a boy about 100 times between 1974 and 1976; case settled in 2010 in federal court
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Alleged crime state:
Oregon,
LDS positions: Music leader, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, Civil case(s): Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Glendon Templeton was a Mormon bishop, Sunday school teacher and scout leader in Arizona; was bishop of the Maryvale Ward in West Phoenix from 2014 to 2019; excommunicated in 2019; also was a volleyball coach for high school-aged girls; accused numerous times and arrested, but never prosecuted for alleged sex crimes; sued in 1997 for alleged sexual abuse; allegedly sexually assaulted multiple teenage girls
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s,
- Alleged crime county:
AZ - Maricopa,
- Alleged crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Bishop, Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Police investigation, Civil case(s): Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Mark Thomas was an LDS church member in Illinois; convicted of child sexual abuse; in a federal lawsuit filed in 2004 against the LDS church, the plaintiff alleged that Thomas molested a 4-year-old girl in about 2002 when her parents were worshipping at the Nauvoo, Illinois Temple
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Illinois,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Unknown result, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Veloy Twitchell (1954 – ) was a former Mormon bishopric counselor in Marysville, Washington; accused in 2015 of perpetrating a sex crime that allegedly took place in approximately 2004; convicted
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime city:
crime-city-wa-marysville,
- Crime county:
WA - Snohomish,
- Crime state:
Washington,
Convicted:
2015, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, -
- Alva Van Wagoner (1929 – 2019) was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse
- Convicted:
1999,
- LDS positions: Branch president, Ministering/home teacher, Other leader, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- View report »
"The judge also noted that he had never received so many letters in support of anyone who had come to his court before as a defendant in a criminal case."
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- William Whitmore (1962 – ) was an LDS church member in Mesa, Arizona; convicted of sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender,
- View report »
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- Daniel Willard (1988 – ) was a Mormon church member in St. Charles, Missouri; pleaded guilty to Possession Of Child Pornography and Furnish Pornographic Material Or Attempt To Furnish To A Minor; registered sex offender
- LDS positions: Primary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result,
- View report »
Convicted:
2010, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to reportFilters
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