77

Former LDS/Mormon church bishops who have been publicly accused or found guilty of sexual abuse or sex crimes.

  • Aaron, George William was a Mormon bishop in Utah; allegedly sexually abused his two teenage daughters; paid $25,000 in punitive damages after losing a civil lawsuit
    1941-
  • Allsford, Stewart former LDS bishop in the Plymouth England stake; accused of sexually abusing two girls; killed himself on third day of his child sex abuse trial
    1951-2017
  • Andrus, Alan Roman was a Mormon bishop in Placerville, El Dorado County, California; accused of sexual abuse in 2020; as of May 2023, the case is proceeding through pretrial motions
    1963-
  • Atkin, Arlo Kay former LDS bishop in 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
    1956-
  • Bills, Donald Nelson was once in a Mormon bishopric in Provo, Utah; pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including rape of a 17-year-old girl
    -
  • Bodily, Gordon Brent former Mormon bishop in Hyrum, Utah; accused 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
    1949-
  • Boring, Donnie Rue 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
    1950-2017
  • Brinkerhoff, Allen J 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
    1929-2019
  • Brockner, Ronald Terry 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
    1959-
  • Bronson, Michael Lynn former Mormon bishop in Utah; sentenced to prison in 2017 for first-degree felony attempted aggravated child sexual abuse
    1964-
  • Burdick, Paul Douglas former LDS bishop in Oregon; pleaded guilty to third-degree sex abuse involving students
    1972-
  • Coleman, Michael Wayne was an LDS bishop in Mesa, Arizona; arrested in 2014 for sexual solicitation of a minor online
    -
  • Covey, Benjamin was an LDS church member in the 1840's that raped two girls under the age of 12; excommunicated and then made one of the first Mormon Bishops in Salt Lake City, Utah
    -
  • Crookston, Clark Elwood former bishop in Utah; accused of 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
    1949-
  • Croshaw, Alan Lee 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
    1946-
  • Darrington, Scott Alan former LDS bishop, assistant school principal in Nevada; convicted of possession of child pornography, spent a year in prison
    1967-
  • Denos, James Edrick 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 1950
    1929-2017
  • Deutsch, Larry former Mormon bishop in Missouri; charged with child porn and luring a teen across state lines; pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for coercion and enticement of a minor and receiving child pornography
    1966-
  • Dew, Gregory Scott former bishop, chiropractor, gymnastics teacher in Ohio; as of November 2022, serving prison time in Ohio for sexually abusing teenage girls
    1961-
  • Doe, John was a Mormon bishop in Panama; accused of sexual abuse
    -
  • Doe, John was a Mormon church member in Alberta, Canada; accused of sexual abuse
    -
  • Doe, Dave was a Mormon bishop in West Valley City, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; excommunicated, but never prosecuted
    -
  • Edwards, Todd Mitchell former Mormon bishop in California; sentenced to prison in 2013 for child sexual abuse
    1964-
  • Faivre, Nicolas Pierre former LDS bishop in Australia; charged with sending sexually explicit messages to a child
    1979-
  • Fuller, Francis Heber 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
    1940-
  • Furness, Rex Lyle former Idaho state senator and Mormon bishop in Idaho; in 1996, pleaded guilty to sexual battery for fondling his granddaughter; 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
    1923-2005
  • Gardner, Samuel Howard former LDS bishop in Oklahoma; accused of sexual abuse
    1932-1968
  • Garn, Kevin Stacy 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
    1955-
  • Gillins, Keith Lorraine former mayor, LDS bishop and high school teacher in 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
    1947-
  • Gomez, David James former LDS bishop in Utah; arrested in 2004 and charged with 125 counts of sexual abuse; charges were dropped in 2005
    1946-
  • Gonzales, Luis was a Mormon bishop in 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
    -
  • Gooden, Shawn Cory was an LDS bishop in Lebanon, Pennsylvania from 2016-2020; arrested in 2022 and charged with sexual abuse of two girls in Virginia from 1997-2000; pleaded guilty in July 2023 in Virginia to four felony counts; sentencing hearing scheduled for November 2023; charged in July 2023 in Pennsylvania with more child sex abuse charges
    1974-
  • Hall, Douglas Bruce was an LDS bishop in Utah; 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
    1952-
  • Hallows, Timothy James was an LDS bishop in Utah; sentenced to prison for possessing child pornography
    1958-
  • Harker, Marvin Ross 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
    1968-
  • Haskell, James Glenn was an LDS bishop and an attorney in Vacaville, California; charged with 14 felonies and three misdemeanors for allegedly sexually abusing four children; pleaded not guilty
    1982-
  • Hayes, James 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
    1956-
  • Head, Jeffrey Byron former LDS bishop in Utah; convicted of attempted forcible sexual abuse, two counts of lewdness and sexual battery; sentenced to four months behind bars and four years of probation
    1964-
  • Hildreth, Clayton Ray 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
    1952-
  • Hughes, Erik Wayne former Mormon bishop in Mapleton, Utah; was sentenced to prison for sexually abusing two children while serving as their bishop
    1966-
  • Jennings, Floyd C 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
    1947-
  • Johnson, Carl Matthew 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
    1945-
  • Kempton, Robert Glenn was an Mormon bishop, stake president and attorney in Arizona; arrested in 2014 in a police sting for underage prostitution
    1942-2018
  • Kennard, Lon Harvey 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
    1941-2019
  • MacNeill, Martin Joseph was a Mormon bishop in Utah; accused of sexual abuse
    -
  • McCleve, Timothy O'Sean former Mormon bishop in Harrisville, Utah; sentenced to prison for sexual abuse
    1956-
  • McConkie, David George was a former LDS stake president, LDS bishop and deputy district attorney in Colorado, and paternal grandson of former Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie; arrested on August 30, 2023; charged in September 2023 with felony sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust
    1978-
  • Monson, Thomas Lee 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 policy decoy prostitute; sued in the 1990s for sexual harassment; reached a settlement with the victim; was a Mormon bishop in Utah in 2008
    1951-
  • Mortensen, Shawn Tyler was a 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; found guilty of sexual abuse; sentenced in 2022 to prison in New Mexico
    1965-
  • Moss, David Neil 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
    1967-
  • Murdock, Steven Dean former Mormon bishop and stake high council member in Utah; in 2019, was caught taking photos of a young woman in a dressing room in Tennessee; pleaded guilty in November 2019
    1963-
  • Neipp, Joseph former LDS bishop in 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
    -
  • Nelson, Robert Kenneth 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
    1949-
  • Newman, Paul William was a Mormon bishop in Utah; convicted of a sex crime
    1957-
  • Owen, Scott Dale was a Mormon bishop (twice), stake presidency counselor and therapist in Provo, Utah; called himself the "Porn King;" accused by 4 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
    1959-
  • Palmer, Spencer John 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
    1927-2000
  • Petit, Eneudo was a former Mormon bishop in Provo, Utah; allegedly avoided arrest warrant for sexual abuse by fleeing the US to Venezuela
    1973-
  • Phelps, Ronald was an LDS bishop in Oklahoma; arrested for indecent exposure before becoming an LDS bishop; accused of sexual abuse; alleged Mormon church coverup
    -
  • Phister, Scott Elvin 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
    1964-
  • Pierson, Chesley Nels was an LDS stake president and stake patriarch in Alberta, Canada; accused of sexually abusing multiple young men
    1928-2021
  • Pilling, Errol Kent was a Mormon bishop in Calgary, Alberta in the 1980s; pleaded guilty to charges of sexual misconduct
    1942-
  • Poelman, Byron Lloyd 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
    1934-2014
  • Powell, Geoffrey James former LDS bishop in Western Australia; jailed for 12 months for sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in his ward
    1947-
  • Pratt, Carl Dee was a Mormon bishop in San Manuel, Arizona; allegedly sexually abused a boy in his ward
    1930-2006
  • Price, Keith Richard was a Mormon bishop in Pleasant Grove, Utah; found guilty of class A misdemeanor voyeurism; secretly recorded underage girls; the crime occurred while he was serving as bishop
    1956-
  • Reyes, Alberto was a Mormon bishop in Argentina; accused of a sex crime
    -
  • Robinson, James Douglas former LDS bishop in Utah; accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl; charges were dropped
    -
  • Sampson, Richard Blaine was a Mormon church member and bishop in Provo, Utah; convicted child sexual abuser and former Provo, Utah MTC doctor; sentenced in 2014 to one to 15 years in prison for child sexual abuse
    1945-
  • Stoddard, Douglas George was an LDS bishop in 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
    1949-
  • Tapp, Gerald 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
    1952-
  • Templeton, Glendon former Mormon bishop, Sunday school teacher, scout leader in Arizona; accused but never prosecuted for alleged sex crimes
    -
  • Thatcher, Ed was a Mormon bishop and later a city manager in Texas; accused of sexual harassment; results of accusations unknown
    -
  • Tolman, Donald Ray was an LDS church member and former bishop in Orem, Utah; convicted of sexual abuse
    1943-
  • Vallejo, Keith Robert 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
    1974-
  • Westover, Robert Fleming former LDS bishop and attorney in Texas; arrested in 2021 for allegedly recording a minor; pleaded guilty in 2023 and sentenced to 4 years probation
    1972-
  • Whiting, Dylan Kevin 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
    1988-
  • Worthley, Chauncey Joseph former LDS bishop in Orange County, California; confessed to sexual abuse and had his foster parent license taken away
    1931-1998