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Donate »4 Mormon sexual abuse cases
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Craig Allen Harward
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Alleged coverup- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church activity, LDS church building, LDS Sunday meetings, Recreational trip/outing,
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s, in California,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2004,
- Case report »
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Ralph Edward Neeley
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- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member in the Beaumont, Texas area; was sentenced in January 1994 to life in prison in Texas for repeated sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl in an LDS chapel during church meetings and in other locations; died in prison in 2020; the Mormon church reportedly paid several million US dollars in a settlement to the victim.
- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, LDS Sunday meetings,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Arkansas, Texas,
- Convicted: 1990s,
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LDS church payment: $5,000,000
- Case report »
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Kendall Doyle Traxler
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- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member in Gallman and Hazelhurst, Mississippi; died in 2015; a victim told FLOODLIT that Traxler sexually abused them when they were a child; the abuse allegedly took place during Sunday branch meetings; the branch president and stake president allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report it to law enforcement.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, LDS Sunday meetings,
- Case report »
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Ryan Dee Whitaker
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- was an LDS church member and divorce lawyer in Vancouver, Washington; charged with sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in his Sunday School class during church meetings; convicted in 2013 and sentenced to prison; registered sex offender.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, LDS Sunday meetings,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, in Washington,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2013,
- Case report »
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