11 LDS sex abuse cases found
LDS church activity
- Crime scene: LDS activity
- Criminal case result: Registered sex offender
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- 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,
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LDS positions: Unknown position, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Probation, Registered sex offender, - Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
Crime state:
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- 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,
Crime city:
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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- 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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- 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,
Crime county:
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-
- 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-
- 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-
- 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, -
- 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, Filters
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