42 LDS sex abuse cases found
victim's home
- Crime scene: Victim's home
-
- George Aaron (1941 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in a college ward in Provo, Utah; allegedly sexually abused two teenage girls in the 1980s and early 1990s; no criminal charges; in 2001, a jury found him liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, and reckless disregard toward the younger plaintiff; was ordered to pay $25,000 in punitive damages; the church was not a defendant
- View report »
Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 
Alleged crime city:
UT - Provo, - Alleged crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
Aaron's standing in the church reportedly didn't change despite his loss in court-
LDS positions: Bishop, - Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Judgment for plaintiff,
- Alleged failure to report
Alleged crime city:
Alleged crime county:
Alleged crime state:
"I was sitting in a room, full of women, who had been sexually abused by a family member — most of them [saying], 'My father abused me. I told the bishop. Nothing happened.' I just knew that wasn't going to be my story. I wasn’t going to allow that to be my story."
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- James Adams (1954 – ) was a Mormon church member in Beckley, West Virginia; sentenced to prison in 1994 for sexually abusing multiple children; in 1996, a $750 million lawsuit was filed against the Mormon church alleging coverup; the suit was settled out of court in 2000
- View report »
Crime: 1980s, - Crime state:
West Virginia,
Abuse went on for five years after Adams first told Mormon officials, including a bishop and stake president, the lawsuit said
Convicted:
1994, 
LDS positions: Other leader, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, 
Alleged failure to report"The church is not in the business of covering up."
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- Paul Adams (1982 – 2017) 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; as of October 2025, a lawsuit against the church is ongoing
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 2010s,
- Alleged crime state:
Arizona,
2025: Arizona Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit v. the Mormon church
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Died awaiting trial, Not convicted, Suicide, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report"They said, 'You absolutely can do nothing.'
"
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- Alan Andrus (1963 – ) was a Mormon church member in Placerville, El Dorado County, California; was an LDS bishop from at least 2005-2007 (El Dorado Hills Ward, El Dorado Stake); in 2020, arrested and accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a victim in 2019; as of Oct. 31, 2025, a jury was set to deliberate
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 2010s,
- Alleged crime county:
crime-county-ca-el-dorado,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Jury trial, Ongoing, Civil case(s): Unknown result, -
- Robert Berchtold (1936 – 2005) was a Mormon church member in Idaho; sexually abused a child; in 1986, was found guilty of rape of a child and spent one year in jail
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Temple worker, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Alleged failure to report-
- Raphael Caccioppoli (1971 – ) was a Mormon Sunday school teacher, lawyer and Justice Ministry judicial officer in New Zealand; confessed sex crime behavior to a Mormon bishop in 1998; LDS leaders did not tell police or local parents of children he was left alone to supervise; turned himself in to police in 2007; sentenced to five years in jail for child sexual abuse and animal sex abuse (bestiality)
- View report »
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime country:
New Zealand,
Crime country:
Convicted:
2008, LDS positions: Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Alleged failure to report-
- Mark Chapman (1971 – ) 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
- View report »
- Convicted:
2022,
- LDS positions: Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Prison, Registered sex offender,
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- Stephen Coleman (1971 – ) 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
- View report »
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
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- Richard Cook was a Mormon church member and former LDS nursery leader in Boise, Idaho; arrested in 2020 on suspicion of sexually abusing young boys
- View report »
- LDS positions: Nursery,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Unknown result,
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- Candon Dahle (2003 – ) was a Mormon BYU baseball pitcher in Utah; in 2025, charged in two Idaho counties with crimes related to child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in Fremont County in May 2025; sentenced to 180 days in jail for sexually assaulting a young girl for five years; Floodlit.org is seeking court documents
- View report »
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Multiple Mormon church members wrote letters of support after Dahle pleaded guilty
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, "You forced me to keep your secret for seven years. I sat through your baseball games, I watched the world cheer for you. I watched you achieve every church standing and be celebrated, all while I screamed inside because I knew the truth."
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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
- View report »
- 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-
- Anthon Ellsworth (1982 – ) was an LDS bishopric counselor in Arizona; in 2021, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was sentenced to seven years in prison
- View report »
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2021, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime city:
UT - Provo,
- Crime state:
Idaho, Utah,
Empey's alleged sex crimes span at least 44 years (1981 - 2025)
Convicted:
1991, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report"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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- 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
- View report »
- Convicted:
2018,
- LDS positions: Branch president,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
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- John Goodrich (1959 – ) 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
- View report »
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Idaho, Virginia,
Convicted:
2017, LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Charges dropped, Convicted, Withheld judgment, Civil case(s): Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Gene Guinn (1932 – 2008) was an LDS church member in the Dallas Seventh Ward, Texas; in 2000, found guilty by a jury of indecency with a child and sentenced to 68 years in prison; the victim was 10 years old at the time of the crime; Mormon officials allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report to police
- View report »
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Texas,
Convicted:
2000, LDS positions: High priest, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- Douglas Hall (1982 – ) was a Mormon church member and real estate agent in Idaho; pleaded guilty in 2025 to first-degree felony object rape in Utah, and to lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16 in Idaho; other charges in both cases were dropped via plea agreements; sentenced to five years to life in prison in Utah, and to eight years to life in prison in Idaho, per court documents
- View report »
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime city:
UT - St. George,
- Crime county:
UT - Washington,
- Crime state:
Idaho, Utah,
Hall allegedly assaulted a child hundreds of times, per Utah court documents
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, "Doug [...] would use religious manipulation to pressure [the victim] to stop listening to heavy metal music, promising her that if she stopped listening to inappropriate music, 'Heavenly Father and Jesus would help her forgive him.'"
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- David Hamblin (1954 – ) 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Alleged crime city:
UT - Provo,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Elders quorum, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Ongoing, Police investigation, Alleged failure to report-
- David Herget (1943 – 2005) was a Mormon high priest in Washington; convicted of child rape and child molestation in 1993; sentenced to 180 days in jail and was a registered sex offender; arrested in 2005, died by suicide in jail the next day; detectives identified at least seven victims; one child estimated that Herget abused him 1,400 times; in a 2025 lawsuit against the church, four plaintiffs said officials failed them
- View report »
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime county:
WA - King,
- Crime state:
Washington,
one boy estimated that Herget abused him 1,400 times
Convicted:
1993, LDS positions: High priest, Seminary teacher, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Died awaiting trial, Jail, Prison, Registered sex offender, Suicide, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report"This isn't a case of ignorance, it's a case of betrayal. The church knew exactly who this man was and what he had done. Nonetheless, they gave a convicted predator a position of trust and authority, which allowed him to exercise power over young boys. These kids deserved safety. Instead, they were left vulnerable to unimaginable harm."
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- 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
- View report »
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2004, LDS positions: Missionary, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Prison, Released, -
- 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
- View report »
- 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-
- Christopher Jensen (1991 – ) 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
- View report »
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah, West Virginia,
Convicted:
2013, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Melvin Johnson (1936 – ) 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s,
- Alleged crime city:
UT - Provo,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Alleged crime state:
California, Utah,
excommunicated, rebaptized with a church record flagging him as a sex offender; top Mormon officials later removed the annotation
LDS positions: BYU, Church employee, Other leader, Seminary teacher, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report"We didn't choose this. It happened to us. It wasn't our choice. But we're damn sure going to do something about it."
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- Brent Johnson (1973 – ) was a Mormon church member in Cedar Hills, Utah; charged in 2024 with multiple felonies related to child sexual abuse; police said they found three videos of Johnson in 2013 where he was recording himself sexually abusing an 11-year-old child while she was sleeping
- View report »
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s,
- Crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Unknown result, -
- David Keller (1970 – ) 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Cache,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Stake presidency counselor, Sunday school, Temple worker, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Ongoing, -
- Timothy Kimball (1979 – 2023) 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
- View report »
- LDS positions: Missionary, Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Died awaiting trial, Not convicted, Suicide,
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- James Larsen (1977 – ) was a Mormon church member (possibly a ward clerk or bishop) in Magna, Utah; accused in 2017 of putting cameras in LDS church bathrooms as well as a private rental; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2018 to prison; released; as of 2025, lives in Magna, Utah as a registered sex offender
- View report »
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2018, LDS positions: Missionary, Ward clerk, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, -
- Robert Longman was a Mormon missionary in Corpus Christi, Texas; molested a three-year old in a bedroom while two other missionaries talked with the mother; pleaded no contest to charges filed in May 1989 of indecency with a child; sentenced to eight years probation, a $1,000 fine, and required to pay $400 in court costs
- View report »
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Texas,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Probation, -
- Timothy McCleve (1956 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in Harrisville, Utah when he was charged with sexually abusing three children; some of the abuse took place while he was bishop; sentenced in 2008 to up to 30 years in prison for child sexual abuse; in 2024, charged in Utah with threatening a witness in a parole violation investigation
- View report »
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2008, LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- David McConkie (1978 – ) 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 July 2025, sentenced to five years probation
- View report »
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Colorado,
LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Scout leader, Stake president, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Alleged failure to report-
- Maynard McFarland (1959 – ) 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
- View report »
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
California, Minnesota,
According to a 2022 lawsuit, a bishop knew McFarland was abusing his daughter, but didn't report the abuse to police, and continued to let McFarland participate actively in church ceremonies and meetings, including baptizing his daughter
Convicted:
2005, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Civil case(s): Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report"I allowed Satan to be my lord."
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- Chester Meek was a Mormon bishop in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada from 1990 to 1995; while bishop, he allegedly sexually sexual assaulted multiple female church members; at least one alleged incident of abuse occurred in the bishop's office inside an LDS church
- View report »
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime country:
Canada,
Convicted:
2000, LDS positions: Bishop, Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, -
- John Midgett (1962 – ) was a Mormon Sunday school teacher in the San Diego area, California; also was a Navy petty officer first class; accused of 43 felony counts of child molestation for allegedly sexually abusing eight girls, ages 5 to 10, in his Sunday school class; pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison; as of 2024, lives in Bountiful, Utah as a registered sex offender
- View report »
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
1992, LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, -
- Shawn Mortensen (1965 – ) 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
- View report »
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
New Mexico,
Convicted:
2022, LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Other leader, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, -
- Matthew Nash was a former Mormon missionary from Utah who served a mission in North Carolina in 1999; accused in 2001 of sexually molesting 11 girls while on his mission; pleaded guilty to charges of child sexual abuse
- View report »
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
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- Jason Pedersen (1979 – ) 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
- View report »
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Elders quorum, Missionary, Scout leader, Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender,
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- Rene Rodriguez (1982 – ) 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
- View report »
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Convicted:
2020, LDS positions: Elders quorum, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- Jeremy Rose (1977 – ) was a Mormon church member and police officer in Tremonton, Utah; accused and charged with 16 charges in Box Elder, County; case was transferred to Ogden, Utah courts
- View report »
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime county:
UT - Weber,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2014, Criminal case(s): Convicted, -
- William Shubeck was a Mormon church member in San Bernardino, California; accused in 2003 of sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit against the LDS church
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1960s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1990s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Todd Summers was an LDS church member and videographer for local children's events in Costa Mesa, California; accused of child sexual abuse that allegedly took place in a Mormon chapel and other locations; a 2009 civil suit against him ended with a $100,000 settlement payment by the Mormon church to the plaintiff
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 1990s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Karey Zimmerman (1962 – ) 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
- View report »
- Alleged crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Alleged crime state:
Nevada, Utah,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportFilters
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