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Donate »38 Mormon sexual abuse cases
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Terry George Allen
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Alleged coverup- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime: 1980s, in California, Connecticut,
- Convicted: 1980s,
- Case report »
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Coy Glen Ball
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- was an LDS church member in Mesa, Arizona; was charged with 11 various abuses to a child; pled guilty to 3 counts of Molestation of a child.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 1990s, in Arizona, Maricopa County (Arizona),
- Convicted: 2010s, 2014,
- Case report »
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Jimmy Earl Brooks
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- was a Mormon church member in Texas; charged with child sexual abuse in 1994.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 4 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Recreational trip/outing,
- Alleged crime: 1990s, in Texas,
- Case report »
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Raphael Giuseppe Caccioppoli
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon church Sunday school teacher, lawyer and Justice Ministry judicial officer in New Zealand; confessed sex crime behavior to a Mormon bishop in 1998; LDS leaders did not tell police or local parents of children he was left alone to supervise; turned himself in to police in 2007; sentenced to five years in jail for child sexual abuse and animal sex abuse (bestiality).
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Victim's home,
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s, in New Zealand,
- Convicted: 2000s, 2008,
- Case report »
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Jon Rick Carpenter
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- was an LDS church member; sentenced to prison for child sexual abuse; the day after sentencing, injured himself to avoid serving longer in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime: 1980s, in Utah, Utah County (Utah),
- Convicted: 1980s,
- Case report »
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Bret Anthony Chesworth
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- was a Mormon church member in Australia; pleaded guilty to 7 charges of child abuse and bestiality including downloading images; he was caught in an international sting operation involving Australian and US agencies.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Case report »
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Franklyn Richard Curtis
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon church member in Pennsylvania and Oregon; excommunicated in 1983 in Pennsylvania for sex abuse; rebaptized in 1984; molested five boys in Oregon; local LDS bishop knew but didn't report to police; convicted in 1995 in Oregon of sexual abuse; died in 1995.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Settlement,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
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LDS church payment: $3,000,000
- Case report »
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Robert Norman Dahle
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- was an LDS church member, Utah Highway Patrol trooper; alleged rapist of a 13-year-old girl.
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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Thomas Eugene Dawkins
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- was an LDS church member in Columbia, South Carolina; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in 1986; the conviction was later overturned.
- Criminal: Convicted, Overturned/reversed,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church activity,
- Crime: 1980s, in South Carolina,
- Convicted: 1980s,
- Case report »
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Larry Deutsch
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- 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 »
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Richard Lloyd 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Scout activity/event,
- Crime: 1980s, in Greece, Washington,
- Convicted: 1990s,
- Case report »
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Jane Doe
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- was an LDS church member in Australia; accused of sexual abuse.
- Criminal: Jail,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
- Case report »
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Chet Barry Egley
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- was a Mormon church member in Weston, Idaho; tried to meet a 13 year old girl for sex; pleaded guilty and convicted to one count sexual abuse of a child and two counts o f entice a minor by internet or text.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 2020s, in Cache County (Utah), Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2023,
- Case report »
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David Brian Farley
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- was a former doctor and LDS church member in West Linn, Oregon; accused of sexually abusing over 200 patients; the alleged abuse occurred over a span of many years, during which Farley was an LDS stake high council member for some time; never criminally charged; in February 2024, the city of West Linn, Oregon released a report about the way its police department investigated Farley.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, 100 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's workplace,
- Case report »
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David Scott Frank
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- was an LDS Sunday school teacher in Colorado; accused of sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: Unknown result,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Case report »
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Kevin Stacy Garn
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- 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 »
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Ryan Christopher Hall
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- was a former Mormon bishopric member and veteran sheriff's department detective in Maryland; in 2024, arrested and charged with several sex crimes related to child sexual abuse.
- Criminal: Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
- Alleged crime: 2010s, 2020s, in Maryland,
- Case report »
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Steven LeRoy Hammock
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- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member in Utah; pleaded guilty in 1983 to two counts of forcible sex abuse of a child and served six months in an inpatient treatment facility; the LDS church excommunicated him, but during a civil suit filed in 1989 by the victim, it refused to divulge information that Hammock had previously revealed to church officials; in 1994, a federal judge awarded damages to the victim.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: Civil judgment in favor of plaintiff,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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David John Keller
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- was a Mormon temple worker, Sunday school teacher and former stake presidency member in Paradise, Cache Valley, Utah; admitted in May 2024 to child sexual abuse and was charged with seven first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
- Criminal: Admitted guilt, Ongoing,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home, Victim's home,
- Alleged crime: 2000s, 2010s, in Cache County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
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Ronald Lynn Kerlee
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon seminary teacher, Sunday school leader and youth leader in Corvallis, Oregon; convicted of Sodomy III (Class C Felony) for sexual abuse of a child; accused of sexually abusing multiple children; was also a licensed counselor in Oregon until his license was revoked in 2014 after he allegedly engaged in sexual activities with a male client.
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Ongoing civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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William Eugene Knox
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader; accused of sexually abusing multiple children.
- Criminal: Unknown result,
- Civil: lawsuit against LDS church, Unknown result,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s, in California,
- Case report »
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Keith Benjamin Knutson
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- Alleged coverup
- 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime: 1990s, in Washington,
- Convicted: 1990s,
- Case report »
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Major Lynn Madon
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- was an LDS church member in Mapleton, Utah; convicted of child sexual abuse; as of 2024, serving time in prison in Central Utah Correctional Facility.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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Benjamin Michael Manning
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- was a Mormon church member in Massachusetts and Utah; in 2014, molested a child while living with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah; charged with child sexual abuse in 2019; was a Sunday school teacher at some point between 2014 and 2024; found guilty by a jury in February 2024; sentenced in April 2024 to 120 years in prison.
- Criminal: Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 2010s, in Massachusetts, Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2024,
- Case report »
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Hugh Winder Nibley
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- was a prominent LDS scholar in Utah; in 2005, was publicly accused by his daughter of childhood sexual abuse against her; died in 2005 in Provo, Utah; was never charged with a sex crime.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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Spencer John Palmer
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- 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 »
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John Edward Parkinson
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon stake president (1981-1991) and physician in Fairfield, California; sentenced to prison in 1997 for sexually abusing two female patients, but the judge delayed the sentence pending an appeal; his conviction was later reversed.
- Criminal: Convicted, Jury trial, Overturned/reversed, Prison,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's workplace,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, in California,
- Case report »
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Byron Lloyd Poelman
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- 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 »
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Bryce Stephen Ray
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- was a Mormon church member and former bank officer in West Haven, Utah; arrested in July 2024 and charged with enticing a minor and sexual solicitation of a child.
- Criminal: Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Public building,
- Alleged crime: 2020s, in Salt Lake County (Utah), Utah,
- Case report »
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Charles Edward Richmond
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- was an LDS church member in Hutchinson, Kansas; accepted a plea deal, pleaded guilty and convicted of Aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =>18 fondle child <14; currently in prison in Kansas.
- Criminal: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Victims: 7 victims, Multiple victims,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
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Lowell Robison
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- Alleged coverup
- was a Mormon mission president in the Mexico Leon mission (1995-1998); accused in 2018 of sexual abuse of multiple people; 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 »
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Mark Daniel Sherry
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- was an LDS church member in Kansas City, Missouri; found guilty of Sexual Misconduct - 2nd Degree, found guillty on 2000-07-11; .
- Criminal: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Case report »
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James D. Stokes
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Brent E Taylor
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- was the Utah Valley Youth Symphony orchestra director and an LDS Sunday school teacher; accused in 2018 of sexually abusing multiple boys; a judge ruled in 2023 that he had exaggerated his health issues to avoid trial; pleaded guilty in June 2024; sentenced twice to prison in two separate child sex abuse cases in 2024.
- Criminal: Convicted, Fled or failed to appear, Ongoing, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 6 victims, Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2020s, 2024,
- Case report »
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Perry May Tippetts
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- was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse.
- Case report »
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Kendall Doyle Traxler
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- Alleged coverup
- was an LDS church member in Gallman and Hazelhurst, Mississippi; died in 2015; a victim told FLOODLIT that Traxler sexually abused them when they were a child; the abuse allegedly took place during Sunday branch meetings; the branch president and stake president allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report it to law enforcement.
- Criminal: Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, LDS Sunday meetings,
- Case report »
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Sterling Gray Van Wagenen
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- Alleged coverup
- was a co-founder of Sundance Film Festival and director of some Mormon temple endowment videos; publicly accused of sexual abuse of two children in two separate instances; sentenced to prison in 2019 for child sexual abuse.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime: 1990s, 2010s, in Utah,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
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Ryan Dee 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.
- Criminal: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building, LDS Sunday meetings,
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, in Washington,
- Convicted: 2010s, 2013,
- Case report »
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