11 LDS sex abuse cases found
Alleged church action: Church officials allegedly did not discipline the accused
- Church action: No church discipline
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- George Aaron (1941 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in a college ward in Provo, Utah; allegedly sexually abused two teenage girls in the 1980s and early 1990s; no criminal charges; in 2001, a jury found him liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, and reckless disregard toward the younger plaintiff; was ordered to pay $25,000 in punitive damages; the church was not a defendant
Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 
Alleged crime state:
Utah,
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LDS positions: Bishop, - Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff,
- Alleged failure to report
Alleged church actions: No church discipline, - View report »
Alleged crime state:
Aaron's standing in the church reportedly didn't change despite his loss in court
"I was sitting in a room, full of women, who had been sexually abused by a family member — most of them [saying], 'My father abused me. I told the bishop. Nothing happened.' I just knew that wasn't going to be my story. I wasn’t going to allow that to be my story."
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- Lynn Egley (1964 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in Benson, Cache County, Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 2018; the alleged abuse took place in the 1990s
- Alleged crime: 1990s,
- Alleged crime state:
Idaho, Utah,
LDS positions: Bishop, 
Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, 
Alleged failure to report
Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of allowing interaction with children after notice of wrongdoing, Church officials accused of failure to warn stake members, No church discipline, Unknown church action, "My [stake president] informed me that “Salt Lake” had called and asked him if there was a need for a disciplinary council for my wife and I because of our public opposition to the brethren. He told them no and that instead they should drive up to Idaho and apologize to us." -Alleged victim, Reddit 2019
"The brethren are aware of the issue and it has been handled properly despite what [victim] and [victim's wife] have stated."
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- Arlin Hatch was a Mormon church member in Riverside, California; accused of sexual abuse in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church; dismissed without prejudice
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Dismissed, Dismissed without prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church,
- Alleged failure to report
- Alleged church actions: No church discipline, Ward official accused of failure to report, Ward official accused of pressuring victim not to seek accountability,
- View report »
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- Duane Lyon (1951 – ) was a Mormon church member; in August 2015 charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child; September 9 2015 protective order filed against Lyon for 4 minor children/granted September 21, 2015; accepted plea deal, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse; sentenced Jan. 2017 to 3 years to life; lives in Cedar City, Utah; is a registered sex offender
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2016, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Alleged church actions: No church discipline, -
- Paul Mayer (1975 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in Sandy, Utah; accused of recording a 16-year-old in a bedroom and bathroom on a GoPro; charged with 19 counts related to sexual abuse of a minor; pled guilty to aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and voyeurism; sentenced in 2025 to 1-15 years in prison and 0-364 days in jail
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged church actions: No church discipline, -
- Colby Mower (1985 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah and Colorado; convicted of sexual abuse related charges in 2007 in Orem, Utah; convicted in 2022 in Adams County, Colorado, and is currently incarcerated in Fremont Correctional Facility at the time of this report in May 2026, reportedly because of charges related to sexual abuse and domestic violence.
- LDS positions: Young Mens Leader,
- Alleged church actions: No church discipline,
- View report »
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- Daniel Nelson (1954 – ) was a Mormon church member in Bountiful, Utah; pleaded guilty to lewdness & lewdness involving a child in 1989; pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse in 1993; pleaded guilty to failure to register as sex offender in 2004; victim was granted a protective order against Nelson in 2019, recorded court notes state sexual violence protective order
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
1989, 1993, LDS positions: Elders Quorum President, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, No church discipline, Ward official accused of pressuring victim not to seek accountability, -
- Jeffery Niemi (1985 – ) was a Mormon church member in Duluth, Minnesota; convicted in 2016 and again in 2025 of felonies related to child sexual exploitation; sentenced in 2025 to 30 years in prison
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Minnesota,
Convicted:
2016, 2025, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged church actions: No church discipline, -
- Jason Pedersen (1979 – ) was an LDS church member in Heber City, Utah; convicted guilty of first-degree felony attempted aggravated sex abuse of a child; as of April 2024, lives in Riverton, Utah as a registered sex offender and is an LDS elders quorum president
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Elders quorum president/counselor, Missionary, Scout leader, Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Alleged church actions: Church position after conviction, No church discipline,
- View report »
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- Jason Smith (1970 – ) was an LDS church member in Indiana; in 2019, confessed to sexually abusing a child; pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2021 to 728 days of probation for battery against a child under 14 years old
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
Indiana,
Convicted:
2021, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Probation, Alleged church actions: No church discipline, -
- Sterling Van Wagenen (1947 – ) was a co-founder of Sundance Film Festival and director of some Mormon temple endowment videos; publicly accused of sexual abuse of two children in two separate instances; sentenced to prison in 2019 for child sexual abuse
- Crime: 1990s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2019, LDS positions: BYU, Stake high council, Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: No church discipline, Filters
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