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Donate »31 Mormon sexual abuse cases found
Elwood Anderson
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- was a LDS church member in Washington state; allegedly downloaded and shared more than 9,000 images of young children engaged in sexually explicit activity; convicted.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime scenes: Online,
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Adam Archibald
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- was a Mormon church member in Yakima, Washington; accused of sexual abuse of an adult woman for several years; sentenced to prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Washington,
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Scott Ashton
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- was an LDS church member in Pasco, Washington; charged with prostitution-Patronizing a Prostitute 04/30/2015; Ashton's sentence was modified on 1/29/2016 to Disturbing the Peace.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Probation,
- Positions: Youth leader,
- Crime: 2010s, in Idaho, Washington,
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Dennis Bough
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- was a Mormon church member in Washington; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime: 1980s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
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Dennis Collins
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- was an LDS church member; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Scout leader,
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, in Washington,
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Buckland Darrell
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- 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.
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Alleged coverup- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea agreement, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Primary,
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: LDS building, Victim's home,
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Richard Dilley
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- was an LDS church member and scout leader in Burien, near Seattle, Washington; dishonorably discharged from the Navy in 1983 after admitting to abusing boys in a Scouting program in Athens, Greece; pleaded guilty in 1990 to one count of third degree child rape and five counts of child molestation for "repeated" offenses over two years of the scouts in his LDS troop; sentenced to 9 years in prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Scout leader, Sunday school,
- Crime: 1980s, in Greece, Washington,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Scout activity,
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John Doe
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- was a Mormon church member in Tacoma, Washington; sexually abused a preschooler in his ward in the 1980s; the LDS church settled with the abuse survivor for $1.1 million in 2023.
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- Alleged coverup
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LDS church payment: $1,100,000
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: LDS building,
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Brian Drake
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- was an LDS church member in the Bellingham, Washington area; accused of sexually abusing two underage girls, along with his brother Aaron Drake, from 2002 to 2009.
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- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in Washington,
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Aaron Drake
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- was an LDS church member in the Bellingham, Washington area; accused of sexually abusing two underage girls, along with his brother Brian Drake, from 2002 to 2009.
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- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in Washington,
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Kelly Erickson
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- was an LDS church member and US Air Force military member in Washington; accused of child sexual abuse; convicted and sentenced to prison; as of 2023, incarcerated in Tucson, Arizona.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Positions: Unknown position,
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Michael Fischer
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- was a Mormon church member and young men's president; accused of sexual abuse; sentenced to prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Positions: Scout leader, Youth leader,
- Crime: 1980s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: LDS activity, Vehicle,
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Dustin Hall
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- was a Mormon church member and Boy Scout leader in Washington; accused of sexually abusing boys in the Shelton Ward near Olympia; a lawsuit filed against the Mormon church in 2009 claimed church leaders knew Hall posed a risk to boys but failed to prevent him from working with them.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Positions: Scout leader,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: Recreational trip/outing, Scout activity,
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David Herget
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- was a Mormon church member in Washington; convicted of child rape and child molestation in 1993; spent time in jail and was labeled a level-1 sex offender (least likely to re-offend); arrested in 2004 or 2005 and charged with child sex abuse; detectives identified at least seven victims; one child estimated that Herget abused him 1,400 times; in 2005, died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail, Prison, Registered sex offender, Suicide,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: High priest,
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
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Michael Hicks
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- was an LDS church member; accused of sexual abuse; sentenced to prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Positions: Scout leader,
- Crime: 1980s, in Washington,
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Darrell Howe
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- was an LDS church member in Washington; accused of sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit; the minor abuse victim and his mother filed suit against the LDS church and its officers deemed responsible; upon appeal, the judgment of the court again ruled against the plaintiff.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: Unknown result,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, in Washington,
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McKenna Kindred
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- was an LDS church member and high school teacher in Spokane Valley, Washington; accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17 year old student at the high school where she taught.
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- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Positions: Unknown position,
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Keith Knutson
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- was a Mormon church member in Seattle, Washington; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges in 1995; a Mormon bishop allegedly failed to report abuse allegations to police.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Sunday school,
- Crime: 1990s, in Washington,
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Kurt Leppert
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- was a former LDS church primary teacher in Spokane Valley, Washington; found guilty in 2018 by a jury of seven counts of sexually abusing 3 children between the ages of 8 and 12; sentenced in 2018 to 21 years and 4 months in prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Primary,
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Paul Lewis
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- was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Seattle, Washington; accused of sexual abuse; the victim sued the Mormon church in 2006.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: Unknown result,
- Positions: Scout leader,
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Jack Loholt
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- was an LDS church member and Boy scout leader in Kent, Washington; accused of sexual abuse in the 1970s; court records show that two Mormon bishops knew about the abuse allegations but did not tell police; the Mormon church was court-ordered in 2006 to pay $87,500 to one victim after it settled with three others for undisclosed sums.
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- Alleged coverup
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LDS church payment: $87,500
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: Judgment for plaintiff, Lawsuit v. LDS church,
- Positions: Scout leader, Youth leader,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: Scout activity,
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James Matlock
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- was a Mormon church member; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse.
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- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Scout leader,
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Bill McKay
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- was an LDS church member and mayor of Kennewick, Washington; admitted in 2023 to police he paid for sexual services at multiple massage parlors in Kennewick; was not criminally charged.
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- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Washington,
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David O'Connor
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- was an LDS church member and high school wrestling coach in Tacoma, Washington; convicted of sexual abuse in 1977; once reportedly confessed his sexual abuse in an LDS sacrament meeting.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Convicted, Unknown result,
- Positions: Scout leader,
- Crime: 1970s, in Washington,
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DeRon Olsen
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- was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency counselor in Spokane, Washington; in 2024, pleaded guilty to one felony count of child molestation and one felony count of child rape; sentenced to prison.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Bishop, Stake presidency counselor,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
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Terry Parker
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- was a Mormon church member and school teacher at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington; in 1996, two former students filed a civil lawsuit against the school district, Parker and the school's former principal, saying Parker sexually abused them; they said they reported to the school district, which then allegedly did nothing to protect them; the suit was dismissed with prejudice in Feb. 1998.
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- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: Unknown result,
- Positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Nursery, Youth leader,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: Victim's school,
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Wesley Perez
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- was a Mormon church member and school teacher in Washington; pleaded guilty to a felony charge of child sexual abuse.
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- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime: 2010s, in Washington,
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Gary Reese
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- was a Mormon bishopric counselor, seminary teacher and Boy scoutmaster; accused of sexually molesting several boys in his scout troops.
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- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Scout leader, Seminary teacher,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: LDS activity, LDS building, Perpetrator's home, Recreational trip/outing, Scout activity,
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Peter Taylor
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- was a Mormon church member in Washington; confessed to sexual abuse of his two underage stepdaughters; convicted; Mormon church lost a civil lawsuit and was court ordered to pay the victims $2.5 million; the church appealed and the amount was reduced to $1.2 million.
- Learn more »
- Alleged coverup
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LDS church payment: $1,200,000
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: Judgment for plaintiff, Settlement,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Washington,
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Edgar Tisdale
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- was a Mormon church member in Washington; accused of sexual abuse.
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- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Positions: Unknown position,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, in Washington,
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Ryan 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.
- Learn more »
- Alleged coverup
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Positions: Missionary, Primary, Sunday school,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, in Washington,
- Crime scenes: LDS building,
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International map of locations where active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perpetrated or allegedly perpetrated sexual abuse or other sex crimes, or where LDS leaders failed or allegedly failed to help abuse survivors.
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