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Donate »19 Mormon sexual abuse cases found
Brady Allen
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- was a Mormon church youth leader and Utah teacher in Davis County, Utah; admitted to trying to meet 13-year-old for sex; convicted; sentenced to 1-15 years in Utah State Prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Positions: Youth leader,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Benjamin Alyk
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- was an LDS church member from Utah and a missionary in Dominican Republic; confessed to making child porn; LDS church leaders allegedly didn't report his crime.
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Alleged coverup- Criminal: Convicted,
- Positions: Missionary,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Elwood Anderson
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- was a LDS church member in Washington state; allegedly downloaded and shared more than 9,000 images of young children engaged in sexually explicit activity; convicted.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Kevin Christensen
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- was a Mormon church member and judge in Brigham City, Utah; accused of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to individuals he believed to be minor children.
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- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Stake high council,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Michael Coleman
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- was an LDS bishop and former sound recording engineer in Mesa, Arizona (Lehi 2nd Ward); arrested in 2014 for sexual solicitation of a minor online; the alleged crime took place while he was bishop.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Bishop,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Arizona, Brazil,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Daniel Cupyrna
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- was a Mormon assistant stake clerk and stake technology specialist in Middlesbrough Ward, Billingham Stake, UK; accused of possession of child sexual abuse material; admitted to wrongdoing; convicted.
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- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Other leader, Stake clerk,
- Crime: 2010s, in England, United Kingdom,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Larry Deutsch
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- was a Mormon bishop in Missouri; arrested in 2020 and charged with possession of child pornography (child sexual abuse material, or CSAM) and accused of luring an underage teenager from Arizona to Missouri; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in federal prison plus a lifetime of supervised release; in 2024, the victim filed a civil lawsuit against the LDS church.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing,
- Positions: Bishop, Scout leader, Sunday school, Temple worker, Youth leader,
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s, in Arizona, Maricopa County (Arizona), Missouri,
- Crime scenes: LDS building, Online,
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Jay Elggren
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- was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Jail, Probation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Crime: 2010s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Jeffrey Fox
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- was a former state legislator (1977-1982) in Utah; convicted federally for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in 2013 and placed on probation for 15 years; in 2019, probation was terminated for completing terms; in 2022, arrested and charged in Utah with 8 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; case dismissed without prejudice due to a federal charge.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Ongoing, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Ned Hansen
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- was a fire chief/EMS in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; retired, then became Tremonton, Utah fire chief; arrested in Jan. 2025, charged with child sexual exploitation; accused of discussing ways to sexually abuse children with Box Elder County judge Kevin Christensen (a Mormon).
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- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Utah, Wyoming,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Hayden Hunter
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- was a Mormon missionary in California; he was from Pleasant Grove, Utah; arrested in 2020 for distribution of child sexual abuse material (child pornography) while on his mission; convicted of possession of CSAM in 2021.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Released,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Missionary,
- Crime: 2020s, in California,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Spencer Kartchner
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- was an LDS church member in Utah; convicted of sex crimes in 2009 and 2021.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Ward mission leader,
- Crime: 2000s, 2020s, in Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Isaac Kemp
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- was a Mormon church member in Draper, Utah; allegedly sexually abused children in Draper and Nebraska; sentenced to prison in Nebraska until 2038.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Ongoing, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime: 2010s, in Nebraska, Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online, Public,
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Ryan Pugh
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- was a former Mormon missionary and BYU-Idaho student in Rexburg, Idaho; arrested and charged in 2024 with sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.
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- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Ongoing,
- Positions: Missionary,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Idaho,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Kenneth Richens
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- was an LDS church member and chief information officer (CIO) of Central Valley Medical Center in Nephi, Utah; accused in 2023 of child sexual exploitation; pleaded guilty in February 2024 to two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; in April 2024, sentenced to two consecutive terms of one to 15 years in prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Plea agreement, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Missionary,
- Crime: 2020s, in Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Lance Rushton
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- was an LDS church member in Provo; accused of photo shopping faces of family members, ward church members of adults and children on to pornographic material and distributed them; convicted in 2007 and sentenced to three months in jail and three years of probation.
- Learn more »
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail, Plea agreement, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Positions: Music leader,
- Crime: 2000s, in Provo (Utah), Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Matthew Shepard
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- was an LDS church member in Salt Lake City, Utah; In October of 2019 chatted with online 13year old persona to try and meet for sex; found guilty to 3 counts of entice a minor by internet or text; currently in jail in Duchese, Utah..
- Learn more »
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Paul Spencer
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- was a Mormon church temple prep instructor and mission leader in Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah; charged in December 2024 with multiple felonies related to arranging to meet a police detective posing as a 13-year-old girl for sexual assault in Lehi, Utah.
- Learn more »
- Criminal: Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Other leader, Ward mission leader, Youth leader,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Keele Taylor
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- was a Mormon church member in Farmington, Utah; convicted for possession of child pornography; In July 2019, accepted plea deal to possession, so the distribution charge was dropped.
- Learn more »
- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Youth leader,
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, in Utah,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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International map of locations where active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perpetrated or allegedly perpetrated sexual abuse or other sex crimes, or where LDS leaders failed or allegedly failed to help abuse survivors.
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