LDS Position Ever Held: Bishop

120 Mormon sexual abuse cases

LDS position: Bishop

Reset filters

George William Aaron
- Alleged coverup
- was a former Mormon bishop in a college ward in Provo, Utah; allegedly sexually abused his two teenage daughters in the 1980s and early 1990s; found civilly liable in 2001 to have "inflicted emotional distress," "breached fiduciary duty," and behaved with "reckless disregard" toward his younger daughter; paid $25,000 in punitive damages.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: Civil judgment in favor of plaintiff, Liable,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Victim's home,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Utah,
- Case report »
Stewart Allsford
- was a former LDS bishop in the Plymouth England stake; accused of sexually abusing two girls; died by suicide on third day of his child sex abuse trial.
- Criminal: Suicide,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Alan Roman 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.
- Criminal: Jury trial, Ongoing,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in California,
- Case report »
Michael Dennis 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; our sources report that he had at least a dozen victims.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2021, 2022,
- Case report »
Arlo Kay Atkin
- Alleged coverup
- was a former LDS bishop in or near Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona; accused of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl in his ward while he was her bishop; pleaded guilty, served time in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: Civil case dismissed with prejudice, lawsuit against LDS church, Unknown result,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Arizona,
- Case report »
James B
- was an LDS bishop in Newport Beach, California in about 1990 to 1995; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually abusing a boy in his office at church every week from 1990 to 1995, when the victim was 12 to about 17 years old; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Case report »
Bishop Baldwin
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Pittsburg, California in 1989; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse that allegedly lasted from 1989 to 1997, when the victim was 5 to 13 years old; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church activity, LDS church building, Recreational trip/outing,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, in California,
- Case report »
Gordon Brent Bodily
- was a Mormon bishop and physical education teacher in Hyrum, Cache Valley, Utah; accused in 2000 of luring a 17-year-old North Carolina girl to Utah for sex while serving as an LDS bishop; sentenced in 2001 to 21 months in federal prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2000s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2001,
- Case report »
Michael Ralph Bolingbroke
- was an LDS church member; accused of sexual abuse.
- Case report »
Donnie Rue Boring
- was a Mormon bishop and stake high council member in California / Arizona; pleaded guilty in 2017 to a felony charge of sexual abuse; died in December 2017.
- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2017,
- Case report »
Allen J Brinkerhoff
- was a Mormon bishop and stake president and manager of an LDS stake welfare farm in Nevada; in 2007, found guilty of child sexual abuse and sentenced.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2007,
- Case report »
Ronald Terry Brockner
- was a former Mormon bishop and stake president in Louisiana; found guilty in Idaho in 2020 of sexually exploiting a minor; sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Michael Lynn Bronson
- was a former Mormon bishop in Utah; sentenced to prison in 2017 for first-degree felony attempted aggravated child sexual abuse.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2017,
- Case report »
Paul Douglas Burdick
- was an LDS bishop and drivers education teacher in Oregon; arrested in 2019 and charged with child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty to third-degree sex abuse involving underage female students in his job as a drivers ed teacher.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Raymond Casillas
- was a Mormon bishop and middle school teacher in San Antonio, Texas; arrested in 2014 and charged with felony aggravated sexual assault of a child; via a plea agreement, pleaded no contest to indecent contact with a child and agreed to a fine of $1,500; was sentenced in 2016 to 8 years in prison; as of March 2024, lives in San Antonio, Texas as a registered sex offender.
- Criminal: Convicted, No contest, Plea agreement, Prison, Registered sex offender,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's workplace, Victim's school,
- Case report »
Michael Wayne Coleman
- was an LDS bishop and former sound recording engineer in Mesa, Arizona (Lehi 2nd Ward); arrested in 2014 for sexual solicitation of a minor online; the alleged crime took place while he was bishop.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Online,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Arizona, Brazil,
- Case report »
Benjamin Covey
- was a Mormon church member in the 1840s and 1850s; in 1848, was excommunicated for having sexual intercourse with two girls "less than Twelve years of age" who were his foster daughters; was rebaptized and soon thereafter was made bishop of the Salt Lake City Twelfth Ward from 22 February 1849 until 1856.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 1800s, in Nebraska,
- Case report »
Mark Nielson Cram
- was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency counselor, and city manager in Riverton, Utah; charged in 2006 with voyeurism; admitted climbing a 9-foot wall at a tanning salon to watch a 16-year-old girl undress; pleaded guilty; plea was held in abeyance; he completed the terms set by the court, charge was dismissed and case was expunged in 2008; as of February 2024, lives in Riverton, Utah.
- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Criminal case expunged, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Healthcare appointment,
- Case report »
Clark Elwood Crookston
- was a former Mormon bishop, dentist and college professor in Orem, Utah; accused of nearly 60 years of sex abuse of multiple children; found guilty of attempted aggravated child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2022 to up to 35 years in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Alan Lee Croshaw
- was a Mormon bishop in Utah in the 1990s; admitted to having a lifelong sexual addiction with a preference for prepubescent girls; downloaded and distributed child pornography; in 2015, sentenced to 30 days in jail for felony voyeurism and misdemeanor lewdness; violated probation by downloading porn.
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail, Probation,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2015,
- Case report »
Scott Alan Darrington
- was a former LDS bishop and assistant school principal in Fallon, Nevada; convicted of possession of child pornography, spent a year in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2020s, in Nevada,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2021,
- Case report »
James Edrick Denos
- was a former LDS bishop and junior high school teacher in Utah; previously lived and served as a Mormon bishop in California; sentenced in 2002 to a minimum of 20 years in a Utah state prison for sexually abusing four of his granddaughters living in Utah; allegedly began molesting kids as early as 1950.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Larry Deutsch
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Missouri; arrested in 2020 and charged with possession of child pornography (child sexual abuse material, or CSAM) and accused of luring an underage teenager from Arizona to Missouri; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in federal prison plus a lifetime of supervised release; in 2024, the victim filed a civil lawsuit against the LDS church.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, Online,
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s, in Arizona, Maricopa County (Arizona), Missouri,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2021,
- Case report »
Gregory Scott Dew
- was a former Mormon bishop, chiropractor and gymnastics teacher in Ohio; sexually abused multiple children; convicted and sentenced to prison in 2008; as of November 2022, serving prison time in Ohio for sexually abusing teenage girls.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2000s, in Ohio,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2008,
- Case report »
Spencer Remde Dixon
- was a Mormon bishop in Salt Lake City, Utah; accused in 2002 of touching a 13-year-old girl inappropriately inside the LDS chapel of the Monument Park 7th Ward; acquitted in a jury trial.
- Criminal: Found not guilty, Jury trial,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
Dave Doe
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in West Valley City, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; excommunicated, but never prosecuted.
- Case report »
John Doe
- was a Mormon bishop in or near Salt Lake City, Utah; accused of sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy; the alleged sexual assault took place in the Salt Lake Temple in the 1980s (approximately 1986), during a visit to perform baptisms for the dead.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, LDS temple,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
John Doe
- was an LDS church member and former Mormon bishop in Alabama, Alaska and Texas; in 2022 or 2023, confessed to child sexual abuse to his LDS bishop and stake president in Texas, according to a person familiar with the case; they reported him to local police in 2023; in 2024, a plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit against him.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
John Doe
- was an LDS bishop in Monticello, Utah in 2001; accused of sexual abuse.
- Case report »
John Doe
- was a Mormon bishop in Pocatello, Idaho; an abuse survivor told FLOODLIT that Doe sexually abused them in his office at church in late 1999.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church building,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, in Idaho,
- Case report »
Matthew Thomas Doyle
- was an LDS church member in Texas; found guilty of sexual assault.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Lionel Lamar Drage
- was an LDS bishop in Utah; accused of child sexual abuse; was allegedly excommunicated from the LDS church for sexually abusing one or more children; died in 2022.
- Case report »
Todd Mitchell Edwards
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Menifee, Riverside County, California; in 2013, sentenced to three years in prison for child sexual abuse that occurred in 2006 and 2012; was bishop at the time of the 2012 abuse.
- Criminal: Convicted, Plea agreement, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Verd Jene Erickson
- was a former Mormon bishop and dentist in Riverton, Wyoming who moved to Utah; was accused of sexual misconduct and lost his dentistry license in 2010; died in 2022.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's workplace,
- Case report »
William Sterling Evans
- Alleged coverup
- was a prominent Mormon church member in Salt Lake City, Utah; was bishop twice of the Grant 6th ward; from 1957 to 1962, was in the Utah State Legislature; served as Salt Lake County Clerk from 1968 to 1983; died in 1991; allegedly raped a relative in Salt Lake City in the early 1980s.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Thomas Evans-Southall
- was an LDS bishop in Charlottesville, Virginia; originally from England; accused of sexual abuse; convicted and sentenced to prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2010s, in Virginia,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2018,
- Case report »
Nicolas Pierre Faivre
- was a former LDS bishop in Australia; charged with sending sexually explicit messages to a child.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Leeroy Fry
- was a former Mormon bishop in Farmington, Utah; in 1982-83, was an LDS bishop in the Hunter 1st Ward of the Hunter Central Stake in Magna, Utah; in 2012, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a 1st degree felony.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2012,
- Case report »
Francis Heber Fuller
- was a Mormon bishop in Highland, Utah in 1993; also was a stake high council member in Utah; in 2018 or 2019, pleaded guilty to two second degree felony counts of child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2019 in Utah to two years in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
Rex Lyle Furness
- was a former Idaho state senator and Mormon bishop in Idaho; in 1996, pleaded guilty to sexual battery for fondling an underage girl; was sentenced to 60 days in jail; given a withheld judgment: if he did not violate the terms of his probation, the felony conviction would be kept from his record.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Withheld judgment,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1990s, in Idaho,
- Convicted: 1990s,
- Case report »
Samuel Howard Gardner
- was an LDS bishop in the Oklahoma City First Ward in the early 1960s; accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy in the bishop's office at a Mormon chapel in about 1961; died in 1968.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church building,
- Case report »
Kevin Stacy Garn
- Alleged coverup
- was a former Utah House majority leader and LDS bishop in Utah; admitted in 2010 to a nude encounter with a 15-year-old girl in a hot tub in 1985, when he was 28.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Keith Lorraine Gillins
- Alleged coverup
- was a former mayor, LDS bishop and high school teacher in Fillmore, Utah; arrested on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old girl; convicted in 2009 of first degree felony attempted rape, first degree felony attempted sodomy and second degree felony forcible sexual abuse; sentenced in 2009 to three sentences of three years to life in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2000s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2009,
- Case report »
David James Gomez
- was a former LDS bishop and department of corrections administrator in Utah; arrested in 2004 and charged with 125 counts of sexual abuse; charges were dropped in 2005 due to issues related to the statutes of limitations.
- Criminal: Criminal charges dropped,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
Luis Gonzales
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Sacramento, California; charged with 20 counts of child molestation, battery, rape, bigamy, stalking, and fraud; in 2002, was found guilty of bigamy, spousal abuse (battery) and child molestation.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Shawn Cory Gooden
- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS bishop in Lebanon, Pennsylvania from 2016-2020; arrested in 2022 and charged with sexual abuse of two children in Virginia from 1997-2000; pleaded guilty in July 2023 in Virginia to four felony counts; sentenced in November 2023 in Virginia to prison time and supervised probation on release; charged in July 2023 in Pennsylvania with more child sex abuse charges.
- Criminal: Convicted, Ongoing, Prison, Probation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Recreational trip/outing,
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s, in Pennsylvania, Virginia,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2023,
- Case report »
John Earl Goodrich
- Alleged coverup
- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Criminal charges dropped, Withheld judgment,
- Civil: Settlement,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Victim's home,
- Crime: 2000s, in Idaho, Virginia,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2017,
- Case report »
Malcolm Noyes Goodwin
- was a former Mormon bishop and retired pathologist and coroner's physician in O'Fallon, Illinois; US Army Reserves and Air Force veteran; arrested in 2022 for Predatory Sexual Assault of a Child; charged with six felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault involving minors.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Unknown result,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Case report »
Jay Smith Grant
- was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse.
- Case report »
Stanley Benjamin Green
- was a former Mormon bishop in Athens, Texas (in or before 1998 to 1999 or later); accused of sexual abuse; convicted; died in 2009.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Case report »
Douglas Bruce Hall
- was an LDS bishop and retired Utah Highway Patrol sergeant; pleaded guilty in 2001 to two third degree felony counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2002 to one second degree felony count of sex abuse of a child.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1990s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2001, 2002,
- Case report »
Albert Dee Halladay
- was a former LDS bishop in Sandy, Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 1988; pleaded guilty in 1989 to one second degree felony charge of sex abuse of a child; convicted.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1980s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 1980s,
- Case report »
Timothy James Hallows
- was a Mormon bishop in Utah when he perpetrated sex crimes; sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM); released in January 2023; as of February 2024, lives in Pleasant View, Utah.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison, Released,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Davis County (Utah), Utah,
- Convicted: 2020, 2020s,
- Case report »
Brent Dixson Hansen
- was an LDS church member and dentist in Spanish Fork, Utah; accused of receiving sexual favors from a dentistry patient in return for prescriptions for narcotics.
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's workplace,
- Case report »
Kent Blaine Hansen
- was an LDS church member and dentist in Spanish Fork, Utah; accused of receiving sexual favors from a dentistry patient in return for prescriptions for narcotics.
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
William Harding
- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member and former Mormon bishop and ward clerk in Tasmania, Australia and Queensland, Australia; charged in or before 2023 with multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor in two states in Australia.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Unknown result,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, in Australia,
- Case report »
Marvin Ross Harker
- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member and bishop in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada; sexually assaulted several young girls; confessed to his bishop and a mission president, who told him not to report to police; convicted in 2019; sentenced in September 2020 to five years in prison and made to register as a sex offender.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 5 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
James Glenn 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.
- Criminal: Acquitted, Found not guilty, Hung jury, Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in California,
- Case report »
Jeremiah Hatch
- was a Mormon bishop; accused of sexual abuse.
- Case report »
James Hayes
- was an LDS bishop in the Timmins - North Bay area, Ontario, Canada; convicted of sexual exploitation in November 2001; molested an underage girl in his ward while serving as her bishop.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church building,
- Crime: 2000s, in Canada,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2001,
- Case report »
Jeffrey Byron Head
- was an LDS bishop in Utah; committed sex crimes while serving as a Mormon bishop; convicted of attempted forcible sexual abuse, two counts of lewdness and sexual battery; sentenced to four months in prison and four years of probation.
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
Clayton Ray Hildreth
- was a Mormon stake president in Butte, Montana; from Dillon, Montana; arrested in June 2004 by Boise, Idaho police for soliciting sex from a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl online; was stake president at the time of his arrest; pleaded guilty in October to a charge of interstate travel with intent to have sex with a minor; sentenced in 2005 to three years and five months in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2000s, in Idaho,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2005,
- Case report »
Douglas Edwin Holyoak
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Sycamore, Illinois from about 1999 to 2004; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexual assault of an underage girl in his office at church when she reported sexual harassment by other youth; allegedly covered up the assault with the help of a stake presidency counselor (Michael John Evans).
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church building,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in Illinois,
- Case report »
Houska
- was an LDS church member in California; accused of sexual abuse.
- Crime scenes: LDS church building,
- Case report »
Erik Wayne Hughes
- was a Mormon bishop in Mapleton, Utah and a Mormon church senior product manager when he sexually abused two underage children in his LDS ward dozens of times; was sentenced to prison in 2017; released in 2023; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Utah.
- Criminal: Convicted, Parole, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2017,
- Case report »
Floyd C Jennings
- was a former Mormon bishop and school bus driver in Utah; arrested in February 2017 for soliciting sex from two girls he thought were 13 years old; convicted in 2019.
- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
Carl Matthew Johnson
- was a former mayor of West Bountiful, UT; former Mormon bishop in Utah; arrested for and charged with sexually abusing several children; pleaded guilty in January 2023 to four felony counts of child sexual abuse; sentenced in March 2023 to prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2023,
- Case report »
Robert Glenn Kempton
- 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 »
Lon Harvey Kennard
- was a former Mormon bishop in Utah; in 2011, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child; sentenced in November 2011 to three consecutive terms of five years to life in the Utah State Prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 7 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2011,
- Case report »
Martin Joseph MacNeill
- was a former Mormon bishop in Utah; convicted of sexual abuse in 2014.
- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2014,
- Case report »
Edwin Gale McClellan
- was an LDS church member and former Mormon bishop in Cottonwood, Arizona; accused of sexually abusing 3 female family members from the 1980s-2000s.
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Timothy O'Sean McCleve
- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Victim's home,
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2008,
- Case report »
David George McConkie
- was a former Mormon stake president, Mormon bishop and deputy district attorney in Colorado, and paternal grandson of former Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie; arrested in August 2023; charged in September 2023 with felony sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust; in November 2023, granted permission by the judge to move to Utah; pleaded not guilty in February 2024.
- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Victim's home,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Colorado,
- Case report »
Chester Lewis Meek
- was a Mormon bishop in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada when he sexually abused a woman; convicted of sexual assault against a female church member; there were several victims in this case over a period of five years; at least one reported abuse taking place in the bishop's office inside an LDS chapel.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church building, Victim's home,
- LDS church payment: Yes (undisclosed amount)
- Case report »
Lynn Alvin Mickelsen
- was a former Mormon general authority (member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy) in Utah; accused in the 2010s of child sexual abuse.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Case report »
Thomas Lee Monson
- was an attorney for the LDS church's law firm, Kirton McConkie; In 1989, Monson paid a $75 fine and was placed on probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from a prostitute; sued in the 1990s for sexual harassment; reached a settlement with the victim; was a Mormon bishop in Utah in 2008.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: Settlement,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Convicted: 1980s,
- Case report »
Timothy Bradbury Monzello
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Azusa, California (Azusa 1st Ward, Glendora California Stake) from about 2005 to 2010; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexual abuse that allegedly took place between 2008 and 2010, starting when the victim was seven years old; the alleged abuse took place in the bishop's office at church and at Monzello's home.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, Perpetrator's home,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in California,
- Case report »
Shawn Tyler Mortensen
- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2020s, in New Mexico,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2022,
- Case report »
David Neil Moss
- was an LDS bishop (2015-19) and police officer in Utah; arrested in 2019 for soliciting an undercover cop for sex; pleaded guilty in 2019 to a 3rd degree felony charge of exploiting a prostitute and a misdemeanor charge of patronizing a prostitute; sentenced to prison, but both terms were suspended.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Public building,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
Tevita Hoihoi Mounga
- was a former Mormon bishop and ward mission leader in Salt Lake City, Utah; arrested and charged in May 2024 with sexual assault and kidnapping.
- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Vehicle,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
Steven Dean Murdock
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon stake high council member and former LDS bishop in Holladay, Salt Lake County, Utah; allegedly sexually harassed multiple women in his ward while he was their bishop (he was bishop from 2013 to 2017); in 2019, was caught taking photos of a young woman in a dressing room in Tennessee; pleaded guilty in November 2019; sentenced in 2019 to one year probation, 48 hours community service .
- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Released,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: Public building, Recreational trip/outing,
- Crime: 2010s, in Tennessee,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
F N
- was an LDS bishop in California; 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.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, Perpetrator's home,
- Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s, in California,
- Case report »
Joseph H Neipp
- Alleged coverup
- was a former LDS bishop in San Jose, California; in 2021, pleaded no contest to four molestation counts and was given an 18-year prison sentence, with credit for the three years he spent in county jail prior to his sentencing; father of convicted Mormon child sexual abuser Samuel Neipp.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Unknown result,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church activity, LDS church building, LDS Primary activity,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2021,
- Case report »
Robert Kenneth Nelson
- was an LDS bishop in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; accused of sexual abuse of a "mentally handicapped" woman; pleaded guilty in 1989; placed on two years probation, ordered to do 150 hours of community service, and ordered to take a conducted tour of a local jail.
- Criminal: Community service, Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1980s, in Canada,
- Convicted: 1980s,
- Case report »
Paul William Newman
- was a former Mormon bishop in Utah; charged in 2020 with child sexual abuse; convicted of a sex crime.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s,
- Case report »
Bruce Lavon O'Dell
- was a Mormon bishop and dermatologist in Show Low, Navajo County, Arizona; in 1999, was charged with 48 counts of sexual abuse.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, in Arizona,
- Case report »
DeRon Harrison Olsen
- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, in Washington,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2024,
- Case report »
Scott Dale Owen
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop (twice), stake presidency counselor and therapist in Provo, Utah; called himself the "Porn King;" accused by 7 former patients of sexually abusing them during sessions, and by a cousin (alleged sex abuse in 1980s); an LDS bishop, a stake president (his business partner) and Utah DOPL all allegedly failed to report to police; arrested in November 2023; charged in December 2023.
- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Eddie Padilla
- was a Mormon bishop in Taos, New Mexico; accused of child sexual abuse; convicted twice.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Case report »
Spencer John Palmer
- was a Mormon temple endowment ceremony actor, BYU professor, mission president, temple president, LDS church area authority; posthumously accused of child sexual abuse by his grandson.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Terry Wayne Parker
- was a Mormon church member in Tacoma, Washington; accused of sexual abuse by 6 former students, that claimed they reported to school district that did nothing to protect students.
- Victims: 6 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Victim's school,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, in Washington,
- Case report »
Eneudo Luis Petit
- was a Mormon bishop in Provo, Utah; while bishop, allegedly sexually abused a child; accused of molesting another child before becoming a bishop; allegedly avoided arrest warrant for child sexual abuse by fleeing the US to Venezuela; arrested in Texas in 2021; convicted in Utah in 2022 and sentenced to prison; as of July 2024, is in the Uintah County Jail.
- Criminal: Convicted, Fled or failed to appear, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2022,
- Case report »
Ronald Wayne Phelps
- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS bishop and attorney in Oklahoma; arrested for indecent exposure before becoming an LDS bishop; accused of child sexual abuse; Mormon church leaders allegedly covered up the abuse.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Scott Elvin Phister
- was a Mormon bishop and stake president in Wyoming; later moved to Utah and worked as a massage therapist; pleaded no contest in 2022 to two class A misdemeanor charges of sexual battery for touching a female massage client in a sexual manner.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2020s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2022,
- Case report »
Chesley Nels Pierson
- 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 »
Errol Kent Pilling
- was a Mormon bishop and licensed psychologist in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; went on an LDS mission to England in the early 1960s; pleaded guilty in 1988 and in 1994 to charges of sexual misconduct; in September 1994, his registration as a chartered psychologist with the Psychologists Association of Alberta was cancelled; in 1994, was excommunicated; as of February 2024, lives in Twin Falls, Idaho.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: Unknown result,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
Byron Lloyd Poelman
- Alleged coverup
- was a bishop and stake president in Utah and partner in a law firm that represented the LDS church; arrested in 1994 for soliciting a prostitute; pleaded guilty to a class B misdemeanor charge of patronizing a prostitute.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1990s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Convicted: 1990s,
- Case report »
Geoffrey James Powell
- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS bishop in Western Australia; accused of sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in his ward; the alleged abuse took place while he was a bishop; the victim twice complained to the LDS church, but said she was not believed and was chastised, and it was suggested she should move away if she felt uncomfortable; in 2019, he was sentenced to 12 months in jail.
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1980s, in Australia,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
Carl Dee Pratt
- was a Mormon bishop in San Manuel, Arizona; allegedly sexually abused a boy in his ward, in the bishop's office at an LDS chapel; died in 2006.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church building,
- Case report »
Keith Richard Price
- was a Mormon bishop in Pleasant Grove, Utah; convicted in 2018 of class A misdemeanor voyeurism; secretly recorded underage girls; the crime occurred while he was serving as bishop.
- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah, Utah County (Utah),
- Convicted: 2010s, 2018,
- Case report »
Alberto Reyes
- was a Mormon bishop in Argentina who sexually abused a child; allegedly sexually abused the victim for at least nine years; convicted in 2004.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Case report »
James Douglas Robinson
- was an LDS bishop in Utah; accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl; charges were dropped.
- Criminal: Criminal charges dropped,
- Case report »
Lowell Robison
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon mission president in the Mexico Leon mission (1995-1998) when he allegedly sexually abused multiple missionaries; accused in 2018 of the alleged abuse; two months later, died by suicide.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, in Mexico,
- Case report »
Ramiro Antelo Saenz
- was an LDS mission president and Temple president in Bolivia; accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls.
- Case report »
Richard Blaine Sampson
- was a Mormon bishop, stake high council member and doctor in Provo, Utah; Director of Medical Affairs for the LDS Missionary Training Center; sexually abused at least seven children; convicted and sentenced in 2014 to one to 15 years in prison for child sexual abuse; as of 2024, was out on parole living in Holladay, Utah.
- Criminal: Convicted, Parole, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Victims: 7 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Provo (Utah), Utah, Utah County (Utah),
- Convicted: 2010s, 2014,
- Case report »
Thomas Theron Schofield
- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon bishop in Elk Grove, Sacramento County, California; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexually abusing a 16-year-old child in 2004-05 while he was a Mormon Bishop; some of the alleged abuse took place in the Salt Lake City and Oakland LDS temples and the bishop's office at church.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS bishop's office, LDS church activity, LDS church building, LDS temple,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in California,
- Case report »
David Kenneth Shurtz
- was a former Mormon bishop in Utah; accused of sexual abuse.
- Case report »
UNKNOWN Smith
- was a Mormon bishop in Lancaster, California; a 2024 civil lawsuit said he took part with two Melchizedek priesthood holders 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.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, in California,
- Case report »
Douglas George Stoddard
- was an LDS bishop in Hurst, Texas; convicted in 1992 of a felony child sexual abuse charge of indecency with a child by contact; sentenced to 8 years of probation; a lifetime registered sex offender in Texas; named publicly in August 2023 by a victim who said Stoddard molested him and three other boys in his Mormon ward while serving as bishop.
- Criminal: Convicted, Probation, Registered sex offender,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 1980s, in Texas,
- Convicted: 1990s,
- Case report »
Gerald Tapp
- was a former LDS bishop in the UK; in 2008, sentenced to three and a half years in jail for distributing and possessing indecent images of children.
- Criminal: Convicted, Jail,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2000s, in England, United Kingdom,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2008,
- Case report »
Glendon Templeton
- was a Mormon bishop, Sunday school teacher and scout leader in Arizona; accused but never prosecuted for alleged sex crimes.
- Criminal: Never charged,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, in Arizona,
- Case report »
Wendell Shan Thompson
- was a former LDS bishop and stake presidency member in Clinton, Mississippi; found guilty of gratification of lust; convicted in 2011 of felony child sexual abuse; some of the abuse took place while Thompson was in an LDS stake presidency role.
- Criminal: Convicted, Unknown result,
- Civil: Liable,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Mississippi,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2011,
- Case report »
Donald Ray Tolman
- was an LDS church member and former bishop in Provo, Utah (Provo 10th Ward, starting in 1975); convicted in 2020 of six felony counts related to child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2020 to 25 years to life in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2020, 2020s,
- Case report »
Charles Wesley Tyhurst
- was a former LDS bishop and optometrist in southwest Virginia; accused of sexual abuse; convicted; 2020: sentenced in Virginia to prison for five years for aggravated sexual battery of a minor; 2024: registered sex offender; lives in Richmond, Virginia.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Keith Robert Vallejo
- was a Mormon bishop in Utah; convicted of sexually abusing and raping two underage girls; sentenced in 2017 to five years to life in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2017,
- Case report »
Robert Fleming Westover
- was a former LDS bishop and attorney in Dallas, Texas; arrested in 2021 for allegedly recording a minor; pleaded guilty in 2023 and sentenced to 4 years probation.
- Criminal: Convicted, Probation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Dylan Kevin Whiting
- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS bishop in Nampa, Idaho; was removed from his position in 2021 after child sexual abuse allegations surfaced; was charged with four sex crimes; pleaded guilty to one felony count; sentenced in 2022 to prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s, in Idaho,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2022,
- Case report »
Chauncey Joseph Worthley
- was a former LDS bishop in Orange County, California; admitted to sexual abuse and had his foster parent license taken away.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
Orson Davis Wright
- was a Mormon mission president in Sydney, Australia from 1978 to 1980; accused of grooming some of the sister missionaries in his care to be his polygamous wives; removed early from his mission assignment; LDS church leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah allegedly covered up the reasons for Wright's removal.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s, in Australia,
- Case report »
Luis Zarate
- was a Mormon bishop in Panama; accused of sexual abuse of a 4-year-old.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, in Panama,
- Case report »

Help FLOODLIT grow!

We expose abusers, document coverups and help survivors tell their stories.

Your donations fund our non-profit research and reporting.

Learn more »

Add information

facts
facts
summary
summary
sources
sources
add info
add info

If you would like to add or correct any information, please fill out the form below.

View the Mormon Sexual Abuse Map

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.

Visit the FLOODLIT Map

Browse the Mormon sexual abuse database »

Bishop

120 Mormon sexual abuse cases

Help FLOODLIT grow!

Add information

View the Mormon Sexual Abuse Map

Browse the Mormon Sexual Abuse Database