30 LDS sex abuse cases found
Alleged church action: Church officials re-baptized the accused after excommunication
- Church action: Rebaptized
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- 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,
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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
- Alleged church actions: Church position after conviction, Church position after excommunication, Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- View report »
Crime state:
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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 state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Other leader, Scout leader, Ward clerk, 
Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Civil case(s): Dismissed without prejudice, 
Alleged failure to report
Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Dozens 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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- Donald Blake (1942 – ) was a Mormon church member in Elmore, Idaho; convicted of lewd & lascivious acts with a child under 16 in 2009; lives in Trenton, Missouri is a registered sex offender as of February 2026
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Criminal case(s): Convicted, guilty, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Unknown church action, -
- 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 state:
Utah,
Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Unknown church action, -
- Ralph Burlingame (1947 – ) was an LDS church member in Minnesota; sentenced in 1989 to work release for six months, convicted of 2nd degree criminal sexual abuse of a child in 1989
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Minnesota,
Convicted:
1989, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, work release, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- View report »
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Unknown result, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- Wade Christofferson (1953 – ) was accused, per Floodlit's sources, of sexually abusing up to 12 children in Illinois, Ohio and Utah between 1985-2025, including while in bishopric; excommunicated in 1996 for child sexual abuse; rebaptized in 1997, was bishopric counselor 2006-11, 2016-19; charged in 2025 with child sexual abuse (alleged between 2016-25); his brother, apostle Todd Christofferson, knew by around 2020 of 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 reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Church position after excommunication, Excommunicated, High-level official accused of failure to report, Rebaptized, Ward official accused of failure to report, "I am deeply sorry for what I have done and will be meeting with my bishop to start the repentance process." - Wade Christofferson, Nov. 6, 2025 text message to the father of a girl Wade allegedly sexually abused
"The Church strongly condemns and does not tolerate abuse and honors the courage and respects the rights of survivors. Regarding the history of Wade Christofferson: President D. Todd Christofferson was never in a position to know about and, in fact, did not know about or influence the ecclesiastical decisions regarding his brother’s membership. While he and other family members were told of Wade’s... excommunication, he was not informed of the specific reasons and had no reason to suspect it was for abuse. It was not until around 2020 that President Christofferson first learned of — through family disclosure — some of his brother’s history of abuse from thirty years earlier; he respected the adult victims’ wishes not to involve law enforcement at that time. However, upon learning of a recent allegation involving a minor, President Christofferson immediately reported it to legal authorities."
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- 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, Alleged church actions: Church position after excommunication, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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 reportChurch paid $3,000,000Alleged church actions: Church position after conviction, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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 state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Released, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- View report »
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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, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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,
Crime country:
LDS positions: Branch president, Ward clerk, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Ongoing, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Church position after conviction, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Released from church position, Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- Mark Haws (1957 – ) was a Mormon church member in Lehi, Utah; accused of sexually abusing a girl for 14 years; convicted in 2010 of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse; excommunicated; rebaptized in or before June 2025; as of March 2026, lives in Lehi, Utah as a registered sex offender
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2010, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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 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 reportAlleged church actions: Church members wrote letters of support, Church officials accused of allowing interaction with children after notice of wrongdoing, Church officials accused of failure to protect victims after learning of possible abuse, Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Ward official accused of pressuring victim not to seek accountability, one 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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- 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 state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, "Her parents took her to their bishop, who urged them to call police but said there was little else he or the church could do."
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- 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 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 reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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 reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Church position after conviction, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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,
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 reportChurch paid $unknownAlleged 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, 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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- 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, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- View report »
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- 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,
- Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- View report »
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- 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, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Unknown church action,
- View report »
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- 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, 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
1995, 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 reportChurch paid $unknownAlleged church actions: Church position after conviction, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, Released from church position, -
- 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 reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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 state:
Washington,
Convicted:
2015, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- 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,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- 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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