52 matching Mormon sex abuse cases

      • Terry Allen was an LDS church member in California; in 1987, was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to six years in prison; was assigned to multiple trusted church positions, including Sunday school president, despite the Mormon church being aware that he had raped a teenager; LDS leaders were accused of hiding his abuse from local church members; as of 2024, lives in Grapevine, Texas
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Church discipline: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
      • Alan Andrus was a Mormon bishop in Placerville, El Dorado County, California; accused of sexual abuse in 2020; as of June 2024, the case is proceeding through the trial setting process
      • Michael Antrobus was a former Mormon branch president (similar to a bishop) and bishop in Connersville, Indiana for 10 years (approximately 1974-84); convicted of child sexual abuse charges (9 counts, 6 victims) in Sacramento County, California in 2021-2022; sentenced to 8 years in San Quentin State Prison; died by suicide in prison in September 2023; allegedly had at least a dozen victims
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Jose Arias was a Mormon church missionary in Palm Desert, California; accused of sexual abuse; civil suit filed against LDS church and Arias; judge awarded judgment by default for the plaintiff (victim) against Arias in 2017 in the amount of approximately $4.2 million; the LDS church was not found liable
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • John Baca was an LDS church member in California; found guilty of LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH A CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE
      • Christian Bearnson was a Mormon church member in Los Angeles, California in the early 1990s; molested a 13-year-old girl; in 1993, the Mormon church was found liable for child sexual abuse by a jury in a civil lawsuit; the LDS church then settled with the two plaintiffs, reportedly for millions of dollars (US), and had the court records sealed
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • LDS church payment: $2,000,000
      • David Bennett was an LDS church member and scout leader in California and Korea; convicted in 1987 in California of child sexual abuse; moved to Korea; was assigned to be an LDS young men's president and scoutmaster; was accused of molesting several boys; disappeared in 1991; FLOODLIT is attempting to locate him
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • George Brown was a Mormon church member in Benicia, California; accused of sexually abusing an infant until age 4, and of creating/having CSAM on computer; allegedly attempted sexual abuse on a second infant
      • Niles Carr was a Mormon missionary in Ireland in the late 1980s, originally from California; convicted of child sexual abuse charges; Mormon leaders allegedly assigned Carr to work with Boy Scouts after knowing he was sent home from his mission due to child sex abuse allegations
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Jack Cash was a Mormon bishopric counselor and stake high council member in San Luis Obispo, California; was a practicing chiropractor for more than 30 years; between 1979 and 1995, allegedly fondled at least 11 women's breasts during chiropractic visits; license suspended in 1985; in 1995, convicted by jury of seven misdemeanor counts of sexual battery; sentenced to 2 months in jail, 3 years probation
      • Dustin Cassady was a Mormon church member in the Sacramento, California area (Carmichael); accused of child sexual exploitation; pleaded guilty; as of March 2024, lives in Roseville, California as a registered sex offender
      • Richard Cole was an LDS church member in Santa Rosa, California; accused of sexually and physically abusing his wife; in 1975 was murdered by his wife when she said needed the abuse to stop
      • Larry Dyke was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse
      • 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
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Richard Freeman was an LDS church member and high school teacher in Fresno, California; accused of sexual abuse; convicted and sentenced to prison; moved to Provo, Utah
      • Eugene Hansen was a Mormon church member and scout leader in California; accused of child sexual abuse
      • Harvey Harper was an LDS church member and deputy county district attorney in Los Angeles, California; arrested in 1984 and charged with child sexual abuse; jumped bail; found guilty; sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison; lived secretly in Colorado for 20 months until federal investigators found him; local LDS church coverup alleged
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Craig Harward 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
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • James Haskell was a former Mormon bishop and practicing attorney in Vacaville, California; charged with 14 felonies and three misdemeanors for allegedly sexually abusing four children; was an LDS stake high council member when charged; pleaded not guilty; in June 2024, found not guilty in a jury trial of 16 of 17 counts; jurors deadlocked on one count of felony injury upon a child
      • Hayden Hunter was a Mormon missionary in California; he was from Pleasant Grove, Utah; arrested in 2020 for distribution of child sexual abuse material (child pornography) while on his mission; convicted of possession of CSAM in 2021
      • Kenneth Jenks was an LDS church member in California (Milpitas Ward); was a ward executive secretary and ward librarian; charged with sexual abuse; convicted; served 14 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor under duress; three victims sued the LDS church, claiming it knew about Jenks's abuse but allowed him to work with children
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Thad Jesperson was an LDS church member in Murietta, California; accused of sexually abusing 8 of his elementary students at Toler Elementary School
      • Kevin Kirkland was a Mormon seminary teacher and school teacher in the Redlands, California area; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2016 to molesting four female students from May 2015 to May 2016; sentenced to two years in jail; released in June 2017
      • Glen McGhie was a Mormon church member in Santa Clara, California; found guilty of lewd or lascivious act on a child age 14/15, a felony; lost his physical therapy license
      • John Midgett 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
      • Daniel Montoya was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Long Beach, California; pleaded guilty in 1986 to charges of child sexual abuse
      • Samuel Neipp was an LDS church member and middle school teacher in California; once named "teacher of the year" by the Union School District in the San Jose, California area; son of convicted child sexual abuser Joseph Neipp; pleaded no contest in 2019 to 12 charges related to sexual abuse; sentenced to 56 years in prison
      • Eric Olsen was an LDS church member and schoolteacher in Bakersfield, California; admitted to Ontario, California police that he had sexually abused between 200 to 300 girls, with as many as 30 victims in Kern County; convicted in 2007 in California of 6 felony counts of child sexual abuse; sentenced to five years in prison; lifetime registered sex offender; as of 2023, lives in Brigham City, Utah
      • David Phipps/Verity was an LDS church member and dentist in Sacramento, California; pleaded no contest in 1987 to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery involving two of his patients; In 1994, also pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery; served time in jail and had dental license revoked
      • Eldon Saling was a Mormon church member in California and Utah; convicted in 1987 in California and in 1993 in Utah of charges related to sexual abuse; as of 2024, lives in Burley, Idaho as a registered sex offender
      • 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
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • 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
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • 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
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Church discipline: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
      • Eric Senior was an LDS church member in Santa Clara County, California; accused of sexual abuse in the 1990s; convicted; sentenced to prison; lost an appeal with the California Supreme Court; as of March 2024, lives in Provo, Utah as a registered sex offender
      • Neil Shumate was an LDS church member and scout leader in Pleasanton, California; was also a kindergarten teacher; arrested in 1994 and charged with molesting several of his students; convicted on all 16 counts; sentenced to 12 years in prison
      • 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
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • LDS church payment: $100,000
      • 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
      • Bob UNKNOWN was a Mormon church member and Melchizedek priesthood holder in Lancaster, California; a 2024 civil lawsuit said he took part with a Mormon bishop and another Melchizedek priesthood holder in sexually assaulting an underage boy inside an LDS church building on a weekly basis from 2001 to 2003, starting when the victim was 15 years old
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Jim UNKNOWN was a Mormon church member and Melchizedek priesthood holder in Lancaster, California; a 2024 civil lawsuit said he took part with a Mormon bishop and another Melchizedek priesthood holder in sexually assaulting an underage boy inside an LDS church building on a weekly basis from 2001 to 2003, starting when the victim was 15 years old
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • David Webb was an LDS church member and oral surgeon in Vacaville, California; accused of sexual abuse of multiple patients in 2021 and again in 2022; gave up his license to practice in 2023; got a license to practice dentistry in Idaho; as of March 2024, a criminal case and several civil cases in California are ongoing
      • Michael Woodbury was a Mormon young men's president and attorney in Sacramento, California; sentenced in 2006 to six months in prison for sexually abusing a boy; contrary to a news article report, did not register as a sex offender
      • Gary Woolstenhulme was a Mormon bishop in Imperial Beach, California in 1978; died in 2002; 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 (plaintiff John Roe JB 65 - San Diego 24CU008107, CASD 3:24-cv-02349-AJB-MSB); allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy in his office at church
      • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
      • Chauncey Worthley was a former LDS bishop in Orange County, California; admitted to sexual abuse and had his foster parent license taken away
      • 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