36 LDS sex abuse cases found
LDS church activity
- Crime scene: LDS activity
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- Michael Andrew (1977 – ) was a Mormon church member, former LDS church employee and part-owner of a children's gymnastics academy in or near Prescott, Arizona; accused in 2024 of child sexual abuse; convicted via a plea agreement in 2025; set to be sentenced Oct. 29
Crime: 2020s, 
Crime state:
Arizona,
-
- Convicted:
2025,
LDS positions: Church employee, Youth leader, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, - View report »
Crime state:
-
- Bishop Baldwin was a Mormon bishop in Pittsburg, California in 1989; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse that allegedly lasted from 1989 to 1997, when the victim was 5 to 13 years old; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- 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-
- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- 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-
- Christian Bearnson (1963 – ) was a Mormon church member in Los Angeles, California in the early 1990s; molested a 13-year-old girl; in 1993, the Mormon church was found liable for child sexual abuse by a jury in a civil lawsuit; the LDS church then settled with the two plaintiffs, reportedly for millions of dollars (US), and had the court records sealed
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Probation, Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, 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-
- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- 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-
- Robert Campbell was an LDS church member in Nebraska; accused of sexual abuse
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
Idaho,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, Civil case(s): Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- 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,
Crime city:
Crime county:
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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- Buckland Darrell (1979 – ) was a former LDS Primary teacher in Redmond, Washington; accused of molesting young boys in sacrament meeting and at their homes; charged with first-degree felony child molestation in 2022-23 (5 victims); admitted to sexually abusing around 6 to 8 boys; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2024 to at least 8 years in prison; faced two additional counts in March 2025 after two more victims came forward
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s,
- Crime state:
Washington,
Convicted:
2024, LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- Thomas Dawkins was an LDS church member in Columbia, South Carolina; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in 1986; the conviction was later overturned
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
South Carolina,
LDS positions: Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Overturned/reversed, -
- 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-
- Dennis Empey (1957 – ) was a Mormon church member in Driggs, Idaho and scout leader in Provo, Utah; accused of sexually abusing many children between 1981 and 1990; a stake president and four Mormon bishops allegedly failed to report abuse for years; convicted in 1991 in Utah of child molestation; sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation; charged in 2025 in Idaho with sex crimes
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime city:
UT - Provo,
- Crime state:
Idaho, Utah,
Convicted:
1991, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Ongoing, Probation, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to reportEmpey's alleged sex crimes span at least 44 years (1981 - 2025)
"This man has molested so many children that it involved four Bishops from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."
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- John Fanning (1932 – 2012) was a Mormon branch president in Texas, bishop in Oklahoma and Boy Scout executive in several US states, including Utah; accused in 1986 in Utah of sexually abusing at least three boys, including during LDS-sponsored scouting activities; admitted guilt; convicted via plea agreement in 1986 or 1987; sentenced to 30 days in jail and spent approximately 18 months on probation; died in 2012
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Louisiana, Utah,
Convicted:
1987, LDS positions: Bishop, Branch president, Missionary, Scout leader, Senior missionary, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to reportA Mormon scout executive agreed to continue paying Fanning for a month after he admitted to sexually assaulting two children
"I told [John Fanning] we had two options. Immediate termination or he could resign and I would pay him through the end of next month but he had to leave as of now. He elected to resign."
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- Kenneth Farris was a Mormon church member in Norco, California; accused of sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor,
- Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
- View report »
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- Michael Fischer was a Mormon church member and young men's president in Washington; accused of sexual abuse; sentenced to prison
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Washington,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- 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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- Alan Grant (1959 – ) was an LDS church member and primary teacher in Utah; found guilty of child sexual abuse; sentenced in August 1998 to two months in jail
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, -
- Larry Harmon (1932 – 2012) was a Mormon in Utah; sentenced to jail and probation in 2005 for aggravated sex abuse of a child; charged in 2012 with first-degree felony aggravated sex abuse of a child; according to police, Harmon was allowed to be around children at an LDS ward Christmas party (where the alleged abuse took place in 2011) despite being a registered sex offender; died in 2012, so the charge was dismissed
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime city:
UT - Orem,
- Crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Missionary, Senior missionary, Temple worker, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Died awaiting trial, Jail, Probation, Registered sex offender, According to police, Harmon was allowed to be around children at an LDS ward Christmas party despite being a registered sex offender
"[T]he defendant was at his LDS Church building in Orem assisting members of the ward in setting up for a Christmas party. He located the 12-year-old female victim alone in the kitchen of the church."
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- Craig Harward (1948 – ) was a Mormon ward executive secretary and former elementary "teacher of the year" in Santa Clara County, California; accused of sexual abuse of at least 10 children; pleaded guilty to charges related to sexual abuse of four children over a six-year period; sentenced to 14 years in prison; in 2024, a lawsuit said the LDS church failed to report abuse; as of 2024, lives in St. George, Utah
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
2004, LDS positions: Missionary, Other leader, Ward executive secretary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Civil case(s): Dismissed, Dismissed without prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Alleged failure to report-
- Lynn Hill was a Mormon scoutmaster in Utah; worked from 1976 to 1984 as a financial auditor for the LDS church, including in Japan and other Asian countries; sentenced in 2004 to up to five years in prison for sexually abusing a 17-year-old developmentally disabled girl; Hill molested her while driving her to an LDS church activity for disabled children, and at her home, according to charging documents
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2004, LDS positions: Missionary, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Prison, Released, -
- 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-
- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- 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-
- Larry Judd (1936 – ) was an LDS church member in Mesa, Arizona; accused of sexual abuse; admitted to molesting 12 girls over a period of about 20 years; some of the alleged abuse took place at church and at church-sponsored summer camps
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- 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-
- Richard McClung (1943 – ) was a Mormon bishopric counselor in the Rockford, Illinois area; convicted in 2007 and 2014 of child sexual abuse; accused in a 2025 lawsuit against the Mormon church of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl; allegedly was not removed from bishopric despite charges
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Illinois,
Convicted:
2007, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Russell Millsaps (1947 – ) was an LDS church member and retired police sergeant in Arizona; sentenced in 2016 to 323 years in prison for child sexual exploitation
- Crime: 1990s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2016, LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- Aaron Montoya (1972 – ) was a Mormon children's Primary teacher and law enforcement officer in Utah; found guilty in 2005 of sexually abusing children during LDS church meetings and at his home; later pleaded guilty in another case; in all, at least nine victims came forward; sentenced to prison in 2005; as of March 2025, is out of prison on parole and lives in Woods Cross, Utah as a registered sex offender
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, -
- 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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- Brian Pickett was a Mormon branch president and leader at a youth program picking pineapples in Maui, Hawaii; accused of sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit that also named the LDS church; the suit was dismissed with prejudice after a settlement in 2016
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
Hawaii,
LDS positions: Branch president, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- 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-
- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Thomas Schofield (1955 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Elk Grove, Sacramento County, California; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexually abusing a 16-year-old child in 2004-05 while he was a Mormon Bishop; some of the alleged abuse took place in the Salt Lake City and Oakland LDS temples and the bishop's office at church
- Alleged crime: 2000s,
- Alleged crime city:
UT - Salt Lake City,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Alleged crime state:
California, Utah,
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Timothy Shoemaker (1976 – ) was a Mormon church member in Newnan, Georgia; accused of sexual abuse; convicted; as of 2024, lives in Newnan, Georgia as a registered sex offender
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Georgia,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, -
- 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
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- 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 reportFilters
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