115 LDS sex abuse cases found
sentenced to jail
- Criminal case result: Jail
-
- Sean Sund (1972 – ) 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
Crime: 2010s, 
Crime state:
Utah,
-
- Convicted:
2022,
LDS positions: Other leader, Primary, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Registered sex offender, - View report »
Crime state:
-
- James Takane (1930 – 2023) was a Mormon church member in Logan, Utah; accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl at his home in 2001; convicted in 2002 of child sexual abuse; sentenced to 90 days in the Cache County jail
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2002, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, No contest, Registered sex offender, -
- Gerald Tapp (1952 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Gravesend, England; in 2008, sentenced to three and a half years in jail for distributing and possessing indecent images of children
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime country:
England, United Kingdom,
Crime country:
Convicted:
2008, 
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, -
- Heidi Tasso (1968 – ) was an LDS church member and school teacher/counselor in St. George, Utah; charged in 2016 with child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in June 2018 to one third-degree felony count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor; sentenced in August 2018 to 120 days in jail, 36 months probation and 200 hours of community service
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2018, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Community service, Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Probation, -
- Arturo Tenorio (1953 – ) was an LDS church member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2013, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result, -
- Benjamin Turner (1959 – ) was a Mormon church member and LDS Primary teacher in Davis County, Utah; accused in the 2000s of child sexual abuse and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM); convicted on federal charges; sentenced to prison
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, 2020s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Prison, Probation, Registered sex offender, 
Alleged church actions: Unknown church action, -
- James Ungricht was a Mormon church member and junior high school science and math teacher in San Diego, California; arrested in 2017 for lewd conduct in public; pleaded no contest in 2018 to a misdemeanor charge of lewd conduct in a public place; sentenced to serve 30 days in county jail, plus three years probation
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
2018, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, No contest, Probation, -
- James Vaterlaus (1970 – ) was an LDS church member in Cache County, Utah; accused of sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Elders quorum president/counselor,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail,
- View report »
-
- Joseph Walker (1955 – ) was a former Mormon bishop, stake presidency counselor and LDS Public Affairs employee in Utah; charged in 2025 with three third-degree felony counts related to child sexual exploitation; allegedly "engaged in several sexually explicit conversations […] to seduce, lure, and entice [a 14-year-old girl] into engaging in multiple sexual acts;" released from jail after letters from church members
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Bishop, Church employee, Missionary, Stake presidency counselor, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Released, Walker helped Mormon apostle Russell Ballard prepare speeches for years
"[Walker] needs to be with his community. He needs therapy, his ward, his family, his friends. He is not a risk to the community and never has been."
-
- Michael Whitehead (1964 – ) was an LDS church member in Orem, Utah; convicted in 2004 of ENTICING A MINOR OVER THE INTERNET - Class A Misdemeanor
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2004, LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Probation, -
- Robert Wily (1979 – ) was an Mormon church member in Utah; in 2004, pleaded guilty to four class A misdemeanor counts of sexual battery; arrested in 2020 for allegedly possessing several child exploitation images; convicted of one felony count in 2022; sentenced to 365 days in jail and 48 months probation
- Crime: 2000s, 2020s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2004, 2020, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Probation, -
- LaVar Withers (1936 – 2005) was a Mormon and physician in Rexburg, Idaho; accused of sexually abusing at least 133 women and children as young as 13 years old over a period of 30 or more years; admitted to sexual abuse; in 1996, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery; sentenced to 30 to 60 days in jail and two years probation; the Mormon church placed him on probation and took his temple recommend; died in 2005
- Crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, 
Alleged failure to report-
- Harvey Wright (1945 – ) was an LDS church member and scout leader in Flagstaff, AZ; in 1988, pleaded guilty to "Attempted Sexual Abuse/Dangerous Crimes Against Children" and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years probation; placed in the BSA Confidential Files ("Perversion Files")
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, -
- Timothy Wright was a Mormon church member in Santa Clara, California; convicted in 1994 of one or more felonies related to child sexual abuse; a 1994 civil lawsuit against the Mormon church said he molested a boy between 1989 and 1992, when the boy was 14 to 17 years old (actions for which he was convicted); the suit was dismissed in 1995 for failure to appear by the plaintiff's attorneys
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
1994, LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Civil case(s): Dismissed, Lawsuit v. LDS church, -
- Justin Zierke (1980 – ) was a Mormon church member and middle school teacher in Idaho Falls, Idaho; Zierke accepted a plea deal and pled guilty of injury to a child; received 30 days in jail and 2 years probation; lost teaching license
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Convicted:
2025, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Filters
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