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Donate »18 Mormon sexual abuse cases
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Timothy Blain Ballard
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- was a Mormon anti-sex trafficking activist; claimed to be friends with LDS apostle Russell Ballard (no relation); accused in 2023 of sexual misconduct by at least eight women and a couple; in June 2024, one civil case was dismissed; in July 2024, a lawsuit said his DNA was found on a victim’s skirt.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted, Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil: Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
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Joseph Layton Bishop
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- was a Mormon church member and president of the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC) in the 1980s; allegedly sexually abused multiple sister missionaries; not criminally charged because the statute of limitations had expired (in 1984, the legal deadline in Utah for filing a rape charge was four years); civil lawsuit was dismissed after an agreement by the plaintiff and the LDS church.
- Criminal: Police investigation,
- Civil: Civil case dismissed, Civil case dismissed with prejudice, lawsuit against LDS church,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s, in Utah,
- Case report »
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Nelson Bogero
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Alleged coverup- was an LDS church member and Primary children's teacher in Cordoba, Argentina; accused in 2017 of sexual abuse of two girls who were in his Primary class; a local LDS leader allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report to police; in August 2024, Bogero was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Police investigation, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building,
- Crime: 2010s, in Argentina,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2024,
- Case report »
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William Carstensen
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- was a Mormon church member in Bountiful, Utah; accused of child sexual abuse; charged; died by suicide.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted, Police investigation, Suicide,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Case report »
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Melvin Eugene Hansen
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- was a Mormon church member, school music teacher and former Tabernacle Choir member in Utah; convicted in 2021 in Utah of first degree felony attempted aggravated child sexual abuse; also accused of sexual abuse in Arizona.
- Criminal: Convicted, Police investigation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2021,
- Case report »
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Paul Maxce Jellum
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon scout leader in Logan, Utah in the 1980s; suspended by the BSA in 1987 after being accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old Boy Scout in his troop during a 1986 Scouting event at Camp Hunt near Bear Lake, Utah; in 1990, Jellum became a scoutmaster in a Nevada LDS ward despite his prior suspension; in 1991, Jellum admitted to the abuse.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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Robert Glenn Kempton
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- was a former Mormon bishop and stake president in Arizona; was an attorney and served a mission as a legal counsel for the LDS church in Africa; arrested in 2014 in a police sting for prostitution.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Arizona,
- Case report »
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Seth Thomas Lyon
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- was a Mormon church member and returned missionary in Utah; arrested in 2006 in a police sting operation and charged with enticement of a child over the internet.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in Utah,
- Case report »
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Mikel Christain Massey
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- was an LDS church member in Lufkin, Texas; accused of child sexual abuse; police investigated, but no charges were filed.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted, Police investigation,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, 2020s, in Texas,
- Case report »
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Scott Musson
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- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member in Ontario, Canada; arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, in Canada,
- Case report »
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Michael David Otten
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- was an LDS church member in Murrieta, California; took his computer to a tech repair shop and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was found; police searched his home and found more CSAM.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Case report »
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Chesley Nels Pierson
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- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS bishop, stake presidency counselor and stake patriarch in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; accused of sexually abusing multiple young men.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, in Canada,
- Case report »
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Bryce Stephen Ray
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- was a Mormon church member and former bank officer in West Haven, Utah; arrested in July 2024 and charged with enticing a minor and sexual solicitation of a child.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Public building,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
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Paul Edward 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.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Online,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
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Thomas Daniel Stranger
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- was an LDS church member in Helena, Montana; arrested four times for indecent exposure; accused of watching pornographic material while masturbating looking at women nearby.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Montana,
- Case report »
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James Mitchell Victor
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- Alleged coverup
- 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.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, in Canada,
- Case report »
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Daniel Waddington
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- was an LDS church member and retired police officer in American Fork, Utah; arrested in August 2023 and charged with 11 felony counts related to child sexual exploitation.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, 2020s, in Utah, Utah County (Utah),
- Case report »
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Jeffery Thomas Westerman
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- was a Provo, Utah police officer; was arrested for allegedly threatening to jail a woman unless she exposed herself to him.
- Criminal: Police investigation, Unknown result,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Case report »
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