16 LDS sex abuse cases found
Church employees
- LDS position: Church employee
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- Michael Andrew (1977 – ) was a Mormon church member, former LDS church employee and part-owner of a children's gymnastics academy in or near Prescott, Arizona; accused in 2024 of child sexual abuse; convicted via a plea agreement in 2025; set to be sentenced Oct. 29
Convicted:
2025, 
Positions: Church employee, Seminary teacher, Youth leader, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, - View report »
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- Douglas Bee (1970 – ) was an LDS church member in Santaquin, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; convicted, sentenced to prison
- Positions: Church employee,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
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- Timothy Bothell (1969 – ) was a LDS church employee and stake high council member in Utah; pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2013 to two years in jail for sexual abuse of two girls, ages 11 and 13
- Alleged failure to report
- Convicted:
2013,
- Positions: Church employee, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender,
- Alleged church actions: Church members wrote letters of support, Counseling/therapy for victim,
- View report »
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- Michael Clay (1974 – ) was an LDS church member and BYU professor in Provo, Utah; charged with sexually abusing three students; entered a plea bargain in May 2023 in which he agreed to plead no contest to three class A misdemeanor charges of sexual battery, complete 24 months of probation, do 50 hours of community service, and take a sexual boundaries course; sentenced in June 2023 according to the plea deal
- Convicted:
2023,
- Positions: BYU, Church employee, Scout leader, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Community service, Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Probation,
- View report »
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- Mark Cram (1956 – ) 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
- Alleged failure to report
- Positions: Bishop, Church employee, Stake high council, Stake presidency counselor,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Expunged, Not convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- View report »
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- Elwood Haws (1951 – ) was vice president of an LDS church-owned trust company in Utah; charged in 2020 with 13 second degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; admitted that he viewed child sexual abuse material 3-4 times a week over a 3-4 year span; in 2021, pleaded guilty to three counts and was sentenced to 180 days in jail; in 2023, violated probation; as of 2026, lives in Taylorsville, Utah
- Convicted:
2021,
- Positions: Church employee,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Released, Violated parole/probation,
- Alleged church actions: Unknown church action,
- View report »
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- James Hogan (1937 – ) was a Mormon scout leader in California and Oregon; in 1989, was sentenced to five years in prison for child sexual abuse; in 1989, two teenagers sued the church and Hogan (settled 1990); in 2002, two men sued the church and the BSA (church settled for $800,000 and $75,000); in 2011, a man sued the BSA for $5.2 million (he previously settled with the church); in all, 12 alleged victims 1967-1989
- Alleged failure to report
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Church paid $875,000
- Convicted:
1989,
- Positions: Church employee, Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Released,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
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- Erik Hughes (1966 – ) 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
- Alleged failure to report
- Convicted:
2017,
- Positions: Bishop, Church employee, Missionary, Stake high council, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Parole, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- View report »
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- Ángel Jaramillo was an LDS church member and city councilor in El Carmen, Jujuy, Argentina; arrested on child pornography and abuse charges (which includes distribution, tenancy, and production of material); in 2025, sentenced to two years of "prisión condicional" (akin to probation)
- Alleged failure to report
- Convicted:
2024,
- Positions: Church employee, Stake clerk, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Alleged church actions: Unknown church action,
- View report »
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- Melvin Johnson (1936 – ) was a Mormon seminary teacher and Brigham Young University (BYU) religion professor; accused by multiple victims of sexually abusing them when they were children; excommunicated and rebaptized; reportedly confessed to sexual abuse, but was not criminally charged; two victims filed lawsuits against him; one named the Mormon church as a defendant; it settled out of court
- Alleged failure to report
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Church paid $unknown
- Positions: BYU, Church employee, Other leader, Seminary teacher, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Unknown result,
- Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Excommunicated, Officials allegedly gave the accused a church duty after admission of wrongdoing, Rebaptized, Ward official accused of failure to report,
- View report »
"We didn't choose this. It happened to us. It wasn't our choice. But we're damn sure going to do something about it."excommunicated, rebaptized with a church record flagging him as a sex offender; top Mormon officials later removed the annotation-
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- Leo Lopshire (1945 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah, Iowa and South Carolina; arrested June 30, 2026 and charged with multiple felonies related to child sexual abuse; a source told FLOODLIT that the church excommunicated Lopshire in the 2010s
- Positions: Boyscouts, Church employee, Elders Quorum President, high priest president, Young Mens Leader,
- Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Excommunicated,
- View report »
"He is still allowed to attend his ward and while the local leaders are aware of his crimes, they have not warned or told adults with young children in his ward about him."June 30, 2026: arrested and charged with four felonies related to child sex abuse-
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- David Novak (1951 – ) was an LDS Social Services counselor in Utah who worked for 12 years with child sexual abuse victims; convicted in 1999 of sexually abusing a girl; released from jail after serving about 40 days
- Positions: Church employee,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Released,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
"I will make sure that I will never, ever harm anyone again."-
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- Michael Pratt was an LDS seminary principal in Utah; arrested in 2009; convicted and sentenced in 2010 for the sexual abuse of a 16-year-old seminary student
- Convicted:
2010,
- Positions: Bishopric counselor, Church employee, Other leader, Seminary teacher,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- View report »
"I am no longer blinded by your craftiness. My eyes are wide open. I am no longer your puppet, your toy or your game."Until his 2009 arrest, Pratt was principal of the Lone Peak High School LDS seminary, where the victim was a student-
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- Douglas Richens (1972 – ) was former international director of the Mormon church's disability services and prison ministry; worked for the LDS church for 23 years; retired, became a professional life coach in Tooele, Utah; charged with sodomy on a child and aggravated sexual abuse; court ordered him held without bail as of Mar. 21, 2025
- Positions: Church employee, Missionary, Other leader, Seminary teacher, Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Police investigation,
- View report »
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- Richard Sampson (1945 – ) was a Mormon bishop, stake high council member and doctor in Provo, Utah; was director of medical affairs for the LDS Missionary Training Center; allegedly 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
- Alleged failure to report
- Convicted:
2014,
- Positions: Bishop, Church employee, Other leader, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Parole, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- View report »
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- Joseph Walker (1955 – ) was a former Mormon bishop, stake presidency counselor and LDS Public Affairs employee in Utah; charged in 2025 with three third-degree felony counts related to child sexual exploitation; allegedly "engaged in several sexually explicit conversations […] to seduce, lure, and entice [a 14-year-old girl] into engaging in multiple sexual acts;" released from jail after letters from church members
- Convicted:
2025,
- Positions: Bishop, Church employee, Missionary, Stake presidency counselor,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Released,
- View report »
"[Walker] needs to be with his community. He needs therapy, his ward, his family, his friends. He is not a risk to the community and never has been."Walker helped Mormon apostle Russell Ballard prepare speeches for years-
Convicted:
Positions: 
Criminal case(s): 
Alleged church actions: 
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