Crime Decade: 1970s

70 LDS sex abuse cases found

1970s

Crime decade: 1970s

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- Michael Adamson (1945 – ) was a Mormon church caretaker and organist in York, England; allegedly abused at least four children as young as seven years old between 1966 and 1982; sentenced to prison in England in 2008 for child sexual abuse
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- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime country: England, United Kingdom,
- Convicted: 2008,
- LDS positions: Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Alleged failure to report
- Larren Arnold (1935 – 2017) was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Idaho; in 1984, arrested for lewd conduct with a minor under 16; convicted, received a five-year suspended sentence and three years probation; Mormon leaders allegedly knew as early as 1964 about Arnold's abuse; the Mormon church made a $50,000 settlement payment to a victim in 2001, and a payment to another victim in 2012; died in 2017
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Idaho,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Probation,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Eric Avant (1959 – ) was a Mormon cub scout leader in Norfolk, Virginia; convicted in 1979 of sodomizing an 11-year-old; Mormon leaders allegedly knew of his sexual attraction to young boys but did not check police records; convicted in 1988 of 14 counts of aggravated sexual battery and sentenced to 26 years in prison for molesting nine boys; had as many as 41 alleged victims; the church settled a lawsuit in 1992
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- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Virginia,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- George Barnett was a Mormon ward clerk in Cerritos, California; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing a child as part of a sex trafficking ring, and of covering up the abuse; the plaintiff said she was abused over 200 times at the Cerritos LDS stake center from 1979 to 1983
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Robert Berchtold (1936 – 2005) was a Mormon church member in Idaho; sexually abused a child; in 1986, was found guilty of rape of a child and spent one year in jail
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- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Idaho,
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Temple worker,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail,
- Alleged failure to report
- 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
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- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Missionary, Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Joseph Bishop was a Mormon church member and president of the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC) in the 1980s; allegedly sexually abused multiple sister missionaries; not criminally charged because the statute of limitations had expired (in 1984, the legal deadline in Utah for filing a rape charge was four years); civil lawsuit was dismissed after an agreement by the plaintiff and the LDS church
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Mission president, Missionary, Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Never charged, Not convicted, Police investigation,
- Civil case(s): Dismissed, Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church,
- Alleged failure to report
- Douglas Bowen (1950 – ) was an LDS church member and Boy Scout leader in Washington, California, Utah and Idaho; was convicted of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child; in a 2017 lawsuit filed against the Mormon church, two plaintiffs alleged that Bowen abused them in Scouting in approximately 1974 or 1975
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- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Registered sex offender,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Carlfred Broderick (1932 – 1999) was a Mormon stake president in Cerritos, California; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing a child as part of a sex trafficking ring, and of covering up the abuse; the plaintiff said she was abused over 200 times at the Cerritos LDS stake center from 1979 to 1983
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Stake president,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- William Bruhn (1924 – 1985) was an LDS church member and civic leader in Utah; accused of masturbating in a public restroom; convicted
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- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Max Cheatham (1960 – ) was an LDS church member in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in Colorado of child sexual abuse
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- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming,
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Unknown result,
- Dennis Collins was an LDS church member in Washington; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse
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- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Washington,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty,
- Clark Crookston (1949 – ) was a former Mormon bishop, dentist and college professor in Orem, Utah; accused of nearly 60 years of sex abuse of multiple children; pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2022 to up to 35 years in prison
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Places lived:
- Crime county: UT - Utah,
- Crime state: Utah,
- Convicted: 2022,
- LDS positions: Bishop, High priest, Missionary, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Places lived:
- 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
- Luke Dalton (1941 – ) was a Mormon church member; admitted to sexually abusing dozens of boys over decades in Ohio, Montana and Utah; arrested in 1997 in Utah for sexually abusing his only son; convicted and sentenced to prison; served 3.5 years in prison
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Montana, Ohio, Utah,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- James Denos (1929 – 2017) was a former LDS bishop and junior high school teacher in Utah; previously lived and served as a Mormon bishop in 1970 in Westminster, Orange County, California; sentenced in 2002 to a minimum of 20 years in a Utah state prison for sexually abusing four minor girls living in Utah; allegedly began molesting kids as early as 1950
- View report »
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- Convicted: 2002,
- LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary, Stake high council, Temple worker, Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
- John Doe was an LDS stake mission president; accused by Mormon leader Vaughn Featherstone in 1975 of child sexual abuse of "many, many Aaronic Priesthood boys" in Doe's stake
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- LDS positions: Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Alan Dunlap was a Mormon church member in Fresno, California; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Alan Dunn (1941 – 2017) was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Venice, California (Los Angeles); accused in 1978 of child sexual abuse; confessed to the police
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Police investigation, Unknown result,
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- 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 report
- Stephen Field was a Mormon church member in California; convicted of sexual abuse; sentenced to prison
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
- 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
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- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- 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 report
- Jayne Furness (1935 – 1987) was a Mormon church member and boy scout leader in Arroyo Grande, California; accused of sex abuse; found guilty of voyeurism charges in or before 1972, and found guilty of sexual abuse charges in 1976; sentenced in 1976 or 1977 to prison; died in 1987
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Prison,
- Juan Guerrero Regalado was a Mormon church member in California; accused of sexual abuse in a 2025 civil lawsuit against the Mormon church
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Billy Hagen was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Idaho; accused of sexual abuse; convicted, sentenced to prison; died in 2005
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Idaho,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Dustin Hall was a Mormon church member and Boy Scout leader in Washington; accused of sexually abusing boys in the Shelton Ward near Olympia; a lawsuit filed against the Mormon church in 2009 claimed church leaders knew Hall posed a risk to boys but failed to prevent him from working with them
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Washington,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Places lived:
- Crime country: Australia,
- LDS positions: Branch president, Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Ongoing, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty,
- Alleged failure to report
- Kenneth Harper was an LDS church member in California; accused of sexual abuse; convicted
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- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: California, Oregon,
- Convicted: 1989,
- LDS positions: Church employee, Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Released,
- Civil case(s): Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- Allan Howe was an LDS church member and Utah politician; accused of a sex crime; convicted
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Places lived:
- 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
- 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- 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 report
- Gary Jones was a Mormon ward clerk in Cerritos, California; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing a child as part of a sex trafficking ring, and of covering up the abuse; the plaintiff said she was abused over 200 times at the Cerritos LDS stake center from 1979 to 1983
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- William Knox was a Mormon church member and scout leader in California; accused of sexually abusing multiple children
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- George Koford was a Mormon bishop in Cerritos, California; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing a child as part of a sex trafficking ring, and of covering up the abuse; the plaintiff said she was abused over 200 times at the Cerritos LDS stake center from 1979 to 1983
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Bishop,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Arthur Krigbaum was an LDS church member and scout leader in Idaho; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Idaho,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Jack Loholt was an LDS church member and Boy scout leader in Kent, Washington; accused of sexual abuse in the 1970s; court records show that two Mormon bishops knew about the abuse allegations but did not tell police; the Mormon church was court-ordered in 2006 to pay $87,500 to one victim after it settled with three others for undisclosed sums
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Washington,
- LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff, Lawsuit v. LDS church,
- Alleged failure to report
- Dennis Loveless was a Mormon church member in Farmington, Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 1977 and 1984; sentenced to prison both times; died in 2016
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Franklin Mathias (1934 – ) was a Mormon church member and Boy scout leader in La Grande, Oregon; had a career as a schoolteacher; accused in 1987 of sexual abuse; sentenced in 1988 to four years in prison for molesting a child; he said that he had 242 victims over a 30-year period; convicted in 1997 of failure to register as a sex offender and was placed on probation for 24 months
- View report »
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime county: crime-county-or-union,
- Crime state: Oregon,
- Convicted: 1988,
- LDS positions: High priest, Scout leader, Stake high council, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Probation,
- Timothy McCleve (1956 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in Harrisville, Utah when he was charged with sexually abusing three children; some of the abuse took place while he was bishop; sentenced in 2008 to up to 30 years in prison for child sexual abuse; in 2024, charged in Utah with threatening a witness in a parole violation investigation
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- Convicted: 2008,
- LDS positions: Bishop,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
- Melvin McKinney was an LDS church member in California; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- 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
- F N was an LDS bishop in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Bishop,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- David O'Connor (1953 – ) was an LDS church member and high school wrestling coach in Tacoma, Washington; convicted of sexual abuse in 1977; once reportedly confessed his sexual abuse in an LDS sacrament meeting; in 2021, a victim sued the Mormon church
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Washington,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Unknown result,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- 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
- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Arizona,
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- Grayson Redd was a Mormon church member and former sheriff's deputy in Monticello, Utah; accused in 2024 of sexual abuse; died by suicide in July 2024, days after posting bail; alleged abuse dated back to 1967
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Not convicted, Police investigation, Suicide,
- Gary Reese (1938 – 2014) was a Mormon bishopric counselor, seminary teacher and Boy Scout leader in Washington; accused of sexually molesting several boys in his scout troops; never charged; two plaintiffs sued the Mormon church; lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in 2011; Reese died in 2014
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Washington,
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Scout leader, Seminary teacher,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Leroy Richins was a Mormon church member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- UNKNOWN Ross was an LDS high priest and stake seventy in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: High priest, Stake seventy,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Nefi Rubalcava was a Mormon bishop in Norwalk/Cerritos in southern California; accused of child sexual abuse in two lawsuits filed against the Mormon church in 2025; he was the foster father of one of his alleged victims and the bishop of both of them; he allegedly participated in a sex trafficking ring involving at least one other bishop and a stake president
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Bishop,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Vernon Sanford Jr was an LDS church member in San Diego, California; died in 2000; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse, along with his father, Vernon Sanford Sr; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church; the alleged abuse occurred between 1961 and 1970; the Sanfords were the plaintiff's LDS home teachers
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Vernon Sanford Sr was an LDS church member in San Diego, California; died in 2000; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse, along with his son, Vernon Sanford Jr; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church; the alleged abuse occurred between 1961 and 1970; the Sanfords were the plaintiff's LDS home teachers
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- James Schmidt (1944 – ) was an LDS church member and scout leader, with multiple charges of child sexual abuse over six years; convicted in Idaho; convicted in the late 1990s in Maryland; as of 2024, registered as a sex offender
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Idaho, Maryland,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender,
- Civil case(s): Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Orin Searle (1926 – 2014) was an LDS church member in Ogden, Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 2013 but was deemed incompetent to stand trial; a victim said that Searle's predatory behavior began as early as the late 1950s, and that several family members, and multiple members of the LDS 44th Ward (Mount Ogden Stake), knew that Searle was a child molester but did nothing to stop him; died in 2014
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Elders quorum, High priest, Other leader, Temple worker,
- Criminal case(s): Not convicted,
- Alleged failure to report
- Frank Selas (1939 – 2021) was an former childrens TV host/entertainer in California who joined the LDS church in the 1990s; pleaded guilty to one count of indecent behavior with a child; the crime took place in the 1970s
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Charles Shield (1942 – ) was an LDS ward executive secretary in England and Scotland; accused of sexual abuse; convicted; sentenced in 2017 to six years in prison
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Crime country: England, United Kingdom,
- Convicted: 2017,
- LDS positions: Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Oregon,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- Civil case(s): Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Stewart Singley (1937 – ) was an LDS church member in Ohio; convicted in 1975 of child molestation that occurred in 1974; in 1997, convicted and sentenced to one year in jail or prison; as of 2024, is a registered sex offender; lives in East Waterford, Pennsylvania
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1990s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Ohio,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Michael Stillman (1939 – 2020) was a Mormon Tabernacle Choir member and professional scouter with the Boy Scouts of America in Monroe, Sevier County, Utah; accused in 1989 of having sexually abused a boy between the ages of 13 and 15 in the mid-1970s; decided to resign as district scout executive as long as it did not imply guilt; was never reported to police or charged with a crime
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: Scout leader, Tabernacle Choir,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Alleged failure to report
- Larry Strain was a Mormon church member in Missouri; accused of sexual abuse
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: Missouri,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- John Tholen (1952 – ) was a Mormon church member; sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing children he babysat with his wife Judith Tholen, who also sexually abused them
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Judith Tholen (1956 – ) was a Mormon church member; sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing children she babysat with her husband John Tholen, who also sexually abused them
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- George Tilson (1942 – 2020) was a Mormon church member in the Salt Lake City, Utah area (including Holladay); pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse in the 1990s; alleged coverup by Mormon leaders
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- LDS positions: High priest, Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- Jay Toombs (1956 – ) was an LDS scout leader and private investigator in Benson, Utah; allegedly told his stake president (a Cache County prosecutor) in 1994 that he had molested boys; three LDS bishops and stake president Jerry Toombs (his older brother) allegedly knew of abuse but did not tell police; convicted in 2000 and sentenced to five years to life in prison; released in 2025; lives in Logan, Utah
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Utah,
- Convicted: 2000,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Alleged failure to report
- Bruce Van Horn was a Mormon bishopric counselor in Cerritos, California; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing a child as part of a sex trafficking ring, and of covering up the abuse; the plaintiff said she was abused over 200 times at the Cerritos LDS stake center from 1979 to 1983
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- LaVar Withers (1936 – 2005) was a Mormon and physician in Rexburg, Idaho; accused of sexually abusing at least 133 women and children as young as 13 years old over a period of 30 or more years; admitted to sexual abuse; in 1996, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery; sentenced to 30 to 60 days in jail and two years probation; the Mormon church placed him on probation and took his temple recommend; died in 2005
- View report »
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Places lived:
- Crime city: ID - Rexburg,
- Crime state: Idaho,
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Alleged failure to report
- Gary Woolstenhulme (1933 – 2002) was a Mormon bishop in Imperial Beach, California in 1978; died in 2002; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church (plaintiff John Roe JB 65 - San Diego 24CU008107, CASD 3:24-cv-02349-AJB-MSB); allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy in his office at church
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime state: California,
- LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Alleged failure to report
- Orson Wright (1928 – 2017) was a Mormon mission president in Sydney, Australia from 1978 to 1980; accused of grooming some of the sister missionaries in his care to be his polygamous wives; removed early from his mission assignment; LDS church leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah allegedly covered up the reasons for Wright's removal
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Places lived:
- Alleged crime country: Australia,
- LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Branch president, Mission president, Missionary, Stake high council, Temple worker,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Alleged failure to report
- Stephen Young (1951 – ) was an LDS church member and police officer in Idaho; allegedly abused 20 babies over a 30-year period; pleaded guilty in 2010 to lewd conduct with a child under 16; sentenced to 25 years in prison
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Places lived:
- Crime state: Idaho,
- Convicted: 2010,
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report

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