62 matching Mormon sex abuse cases

  • Crime scene: Perpetrator's home
    • George Aaron was a former Mormon bishop in a college ward in Provo, Utah; allegedly sexually abused his two teenage daughters in the 1980s and early 1990s; found civilly liable in 2001 to have "inflicted emotional distress," "breached fiduciary duty," and behaved with "reckless disregard" toward his younger daughter; paid $25,000 in punitive damages
    • Paul Adams was an LDS church member in Arizona; sexually abused two children for several years after confessing to his bishop; arrested and charged; died by suicide in 2017 while in custody awaiting trial
    • Jared Anderson was a high school teacher (and one-time "teacher of the year") and Mormon church group leader in the San Antonio, Texas area; also lived in Millington, Tennessee and Ogden, Utah; sentenced to 10 years in prison for hosting sex parties for teenage boys
    • Arlo Atkin was a former LDS bishop in or near Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona; accused of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl in his ward while he was her bishop; pleaded guilty, spent 132 days in jail
    • Alan Bassett 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
    • Charles Bates was a Mormon church member and Boy Scout leader in the Salt Lake City, Utah area; accused in 2025 of sexual abuse of four boys that allegedly took place from at least 2006 to 2020; the alleged abuse took place on numerous occasions in Bates's home and vehicle, the Kearns Community Pool, and Boy Scouts trips; Bates allegedly created child sex abuse material (CSAM) of multiple victims
    • Gary Bell was an LDS church member and former prosecutor in Utah; pleaded guilty in December 2022 to four second degree felony charges related to child sexual abuse; sentenced in January 2023 to one to 15 years in prison; in June 2023, was convicted of 15 counts of 2nd degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of class B misdemeanor voyeurism; no additional prison time was added
    • Mark Chapman was an LDS church member, church janitor and scout leader in Michigan; served 9 years in prison in New York for charges of engaging in criminal sexual conduct with a person below the age of 17; sentenced to prison in 2022 in Michigan for sexually assaulting two children; some of the abuse took place at an LDS chapel
    • Max Cheatham was an LDS church member in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in Colorado of child sexual abuse
    • Stephen Coleman was an LDS church member and analyst in the Utah state Office of Planning and Budget; accused of sexual abuse in 2011; convicted and sentenced to prison; as of 2016, was serving two sentences of 15 years to life in prison in Utah
    • David Curtis was a Mormon church member and middle school counselor in St. George, Utah; in 2025, pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison
    • Broch DeGraff was an LDS church member and private school teacher at Liahona Preparatory Academy in Pleasant Grove, Utah; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges; sentenced in 2013 to up to 20 years in prison
    • Richard Dilley was an LDS church member and scout leader in Burien, near Seattle, Washington; dishonorably discharged from the Navy in 1983 after admitting to abusing boys in a Scouting program in Athens, Greece; pleaded guilty in 1990 to one count of third degree child rape and five counts of child molestation for "repeated" offenses over two years of the scouts in his LDS troop; sentenced to 9 years in prison
    • Jane Doe was an LDS church member in Australia; accused of sexual abuse
    • Matthew Doyle was an LDS bishop in Copperas Cove, Texas (2nd Ward) in the 2000s; was a high school basketball coach; convicted in 2011 of sexual assault
    • Todd Edwards was a Mormon bishop in Menifee, Riverside County, California; in 2013, sentenced to three years in prison for sexual abuse of one teenage girl in 2006 and another in 2012; was bishop at the time of the 2012 abuse; in 2024, two victims sued the LDS church in separate lawsuits; one said a stake president and LDS law firm Kirton McConkie hindered police
    • Anthon Ellsworth was an LDS bishopric counselor and returned missionary in Arizona; in 2021, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was sentenced to seven years in prison
    • 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
    • John Goodrich was a former Mormon bishop and dentist in Idaho; accused of child sexual abuse and of having nonconsensual sex with a woman he admitting to drugging; given a withheld judgement; in December 2023, the AP reported that the Mormon church had offered $300,000 to a victim and her mother to not use her story to sue the church, and to keep the NDA secret; arrested in Virginia in March 2024
    • Alan Grant 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
    • Jay Grant was a Mormon bishop of the Adams Ward in Los Angeles, California; charged in 1981, at age 79, with five counts of forcible sexual abuse; sexually assaulted three young girls; convicted of all five counts; died in 1988 in Orem, Utah; ran "Grandpa Grant's Memory Club," a neighborhood study group for up to 175 LDS children; Grant sometimes had "students" spend the night at his apartment
    • Lincoln Gygi was a Mormon church member in Pleasant Grove, Utah; convicted in 2020 of sexually abusing a 7-year-old boy
    • Ryan Hall was a former Mormon bishopric member and veteran sheriff's department detective in Maryland; in 2024, arrested and charged with several sex crimes related to child sexual abuse
    • David Hamblin was a Mormon church member and former elders quorum president in Utah; arrested in 2022 and charged with child sexual abuse in three separate cases; investigated along with ex-wife Roselle Stevenson (arrested in 2023) for alleged ritualistic sexual abuse; in 2025, a court dismissed one case with prejudice after "discovery issues;" one case remained as of March 2025
    • Cletus Hanifin was an LDS church member in Boulder, Colorado; accused of sexually abusing a young teenage girl in his home, while his wife was away
    • Vance Hein was an LDS church member and scoutmaster in West Bradford, Pennsylvania; was convicted in 1999 of a misdemeanor for sexually abusing one of his boy scouts; sentenced in 2000 to 15 years of probation; arrested in 2011 for possessing child pornography; sentenced in 2012 to 15 to 30 years in prison; the Mormon church settled a related lawsuit in 2014
    • David Herget was a Mormon church member in Washington; convicted of child rape and child molestation in 1993; spent time in jail and was labeled a level-1 sex offender (least likely to re-offend); arrested in 2004 or 2005 and charged with child sex abuse; detectives identified at least seven victims; one child estimated that Herget abused him 1,400 times; in 2005, died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial
    • Christopher Jensen was a Mormon church member in Utah and West Virginia; sentenced to 35 to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing two children; local LDS church coverup alleged; LDS church settled civil lawsuit mid-trial in 2018 for $32 million, also spending over $27 million on legal fees; FLOODLIT.org discovered the settlement details in 2025 and made them public for the first time
    • Melvin Johnson 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
    • David Keller was a Mormon temple worker, Sunday school teacher and former stake presidency member in Paradise, Cache Valley, Utah; admitted in May 2024 to child sexual abuse and was charged with seven first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child
    • Timothy Kimball was an LDS church member in San Antonio, Texas; charged in 2022 with child sexual abuse; died by suicide in June 2023 while awaiting indictment
    • Virgil Larson was a Mormon church member and first counselor in an LDS ward bishopric in Chubbuck, Idaho; arrested in September 2024 and charged with sexual abuse of five boys, ages 12-15; he knew the boys from LDS ward activities and was their priesthood leader; as of March 2025, a jury trial was scheduled for April 8
    • Richard McClung 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
    • David McConkie was a Mormon bishop (approximately 2013-16), stake president (2016-21) and deputy district attorney in Colorado; paternal grandson of Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie; arrested in 2023 and charged with felony sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust; allegedly confessed child sexual assault to a Mormon church leader in 2008; in April 2025, proposed a plea deal to avoid prison
    • Maynard McFarland was an LDS church member in California and Minnesota; sentenced in 2005 to 32 years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter for many years; released from prison in 2020; as of 2024, lives in Chula Vista, California as a registered sex offender
    • Aaron Montoya 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
    • Timothy Monzello was a Mormon bishop in Azusa, California (Azusa 1st Ward, Glendora California Stake) from about 2005 to 2010; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexual abuse that allegedly took place between 2008 and 2010, starting when the victim was seven years old; the alleged abuse took place in the bishop's office at church and at Monzello's home
    • Shawn Mortensen was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency member in Albuquerque, New Mexico; in February 2021, admitted to police that he had sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in January 2021; convicted of child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2022 to prison in New Mexico
    • 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
    • Zander Nunley was a police officer and former Mormon missionary in Salt Lake City, Utah; went on an LDS mission to Nicaragua in 2018 to 2019; accused in December 2024 of sexual assault of a woman who said he met her via an online dating app; she said he invited her to his home to watch a Christmas devotional broadcast by worldwide Mormon leaders; she said he removed his LDS temple garments to assault her
    • DeRon Olsen was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency counselor in Spokane, Washington; in 2024, pleaded guilty to one felony count of child molestation and one felony count of child rape; sentenced to prison
    • Jason Pedersen was an LDS church member in Heber City, Utah; convicted guilty of first-degree felony attempted aggravated sex abuse of a child; as of April 2024, lives in Riverton, Utah as a registered sex offender and is an LDS elders quorum president
    • Eneudo Petit was a Mormon bishop in Provo, Utah; while bishop, allegedly sexually abused a child; accused of molesting another child before becoming a bishop; allegedly avoided arrest warrant for child sexual abuse by fleeing the US to Venezuela; arrested in Texas in 2021; convicted in Utah in 2022 and sentenced to prison; as of July 2024, is in the Uintah County Jail
    • 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
    • Richard Ray 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
    • Gary Reese 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; died in 2014
    • Douglas Richens was former international director of the Mormon church's disability services and prison ministry; worked for the LDS church for 23 years; retired, became a professional life coach in Tooele, Utah; charged with sodomy on a child and aggravated sexual abuse; court ordered him held without bail as of Mar. 21, 2025
    • Rene Rodriguez was a Mormon elders quorum presidency member and sheriff in Shoshone, Lincoln County, Idaho; accused in 2019 of child sexual abuse that allegedly took place from 2005 to 2014; faced criminal charges in multiple Idaho counties; in one, was acquitted by a jury; in another, was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 14 to 28 years in prison
    • Vernon Sanford 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
    • Vernon Sanford 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
    • Kyle Saucier was a Mormon missionary in Utah; charged in 2007 with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, but the charges were dropped after prosecutors said they could not proceed due to "witness problems"
    • Dennis Schult was a Mormon church member and scout leader in southern California; pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation as part of a plea agreement wherein six other molestation charges were dropped; sentenced in 1991 to eight years in prison for sexually abusing two of his scouts for several years; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Granada Hills, California
    • Wade Schvaneveldt was an LDS church member and high school girl's basketball coach in or near Grace, Idaho; accused of raping a child numerous times over a period of several years, including at his home while his family was attending LDS church meetings; in April 2023, accepted a plea deal to two felony counts of rape; in June 2023, was sentenced to 8 to 18 years in prison
    • Joseph Smith was the founder of the LDS church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church); was publicly accused during his life (1805-1844) of sexual misconduct, including adultery and illegal polygamy; in May 1844, a Hancock County, Illinois grand jury indicted Smith for perjury, fornication and polygamy; died in June 1844
    • Michael Stillman 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
    • Arthur Stout was a Mormon church member in Littlerock, California; in 2024, a civil lawsuit said he sexually assaulted a girl "on a weekly basis" from 1991 to 1997, starting when she was 5 years old; some of the alleged abuse took place in an LDS church building
    • Sean Sund was an LDS primary teacher in Utah; arrested in 2018 and accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl from his LDS ward during sleepovers at his home on multiple occasions; pleaded guilty in 2022 to second-degree felony sex abuse of a child and was sentenced to 361 days in jail; registered sex offender for life
    • Kimball Ungerman was an LDS church member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2020 to one felony count of 2nd degree aggravated child sexual abuse; sentenced to prison but the prison term was suspended; sentenced to probation; completed probation; as of 2023, registered sex offender; lives in Orem, Utah
    • James Victor was a Mormon missionary in Canada in the 1980s; allegedly sexually abused a 12-year-old boy while on his mission; an LDS stake president and a mission president (David Sorensen) allegedly covered up abuse allegations; Sorensen later became an LDS general authority
    • Alexander Winward was an LDS church member in Utah; pleaded guilty to 4 felony counts of child sex abuse, with all victims under the age of 7
    • Brigham Young Second president of the Mormon church; married 56 women, including a 15-year-old and three 16-year-olds; was publicly accused during his life (1801-1877) of sexual misconduct, including adultery and illegal polygamy; never charged with a sex crime; arrested and charged with adultery in 1871; not found guilty; died in 1877
    • Karey Zimmerman was a Mormon church member in Utah and Nevada; in 2025, was accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse that allegedly took place in Nevada and Utah; the Mormon church was also named as a defendant; the lawsuit said a Utah bishop failed to report abuse allegations to police

 

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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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FLOODLIT.org has a free public database of hundreds of reports about people who committed or allegedly committed sex crimes, including sexual abuse, while they were active Mormon church members. You can browse the entire database by LDS church position, number of victims, places where crimes took place, criminal/civil case results, and other criteria.