11 LDS sex abuse cases found
ward executive secretaries
- LDS position: Ward executive secretary
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- Craig Capron (1965 – ) was a podiatrist; Mormon branch president in Macy, Nebraska (1999-2002), then a stake/ward executive secretary in Wyoming; allegedly sexually abused at least five children over a span of 20-plus years, despite LDS officials allegedly knowing of the first victim and prohibiting Capron from teaching kids; convicted in 2024 in Wyoming; sentenced to six to 12 years in prison; convicted again in 2025
Convicted:
2024, 
Positions: Branch president, Other leader, Ward executive secretary, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, - Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Released from church position, Ward official accused of failure to report, Ward officials restricted accused from working with children,
- View report »
"I just want what's best for you."Mormon officials allegedly assigned Capron to leadership positions despite forbidding him from teaching children - more than 20 years prior to his conviction-
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- Craig Harward (1948 – ) was a Mormon ward executive secretary and former elementary "teacher of the year" in Santa Clara County, California; accused of sexual abuse of at least 10 children; pleaded guilty to charges related to sexual abuse of four children over a six-year period; sentenced to 14 years in prison; in 2024, a lawsuit said the LDS church failed to report abuse; as of 2024, lives in St. George, Utah
- Alleged failure to report
- Convicted:
2004,
- Positions: Missionary, Other leader, Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil case(s): Dismissed, Dismissed without prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church,
- View report »
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- Ronald Jones (1937 – ) was a former Mormon bishop, stake president and temple presidency counselor; Military Relations director for the LDS church from 1989 to 1991; convicted of sex solicitation in Utah in 1990 and 1995; charged in 2025 with three first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, one first-degree felony child kidnapping count, and two related misdemeanors
- Positions: Bishop, Branch president, Other leader, Scout leader, Stake presidency counselor, Stake president, Temple worker, Unknown position, Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing,
- View report »
became temple presidency counselor and sealer despite two convictions for sex solicitation-
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- Justin Knight (1983 – ) was a Mormon church member in Tucson, Arizona; in 2023, pled guilty to one third-degree count of SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR and one fourth-degree felony charge of Aggravated Taking Id Of Another Person Or Entity; sentenced to prison; registered sex offender as of Oct. 2025
- Convicted:
2023,
- Positions: Primary, Scout leader, Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender,
- View report »
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- Kent Langston (1951 – ) was a Mormon church member and former LDS Primary teacher in Saratoga Springs, Utah; charged on December 9, 2025 with several first-degree felonies related to child sexual abuse; accused of abusing at least eight children and one disabled adult
- Positions: Missionary, Primary, Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Alleged church actions: Unknown church action,
- View report »
"“I am sorry for what I’ve done. I’m so, so sorry for the pain inflicted on your beautiful, precious families. Why did it happen?...In my weakness, he told me there is no harm in a little of this and a little of that. Once the dam I built was breached, the breach grew little by little…I’m now facing 15-years-to life in prison.”"Langston continued in the text by explaining he will spend the rest of his life in prison and then questioned whether he deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison and suggested that there’s a lot more ‘good’ that he can do-
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- Boyd Lords was a Mormon church member in Winnemucca, Nevada; accused of child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2022 to one felony count of lewdness with a child under the age of 14; was sentenced to prison
- Convicted:
2022,
- Positions: High priest, Missionary, Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
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- Larry Newton (1957 – ) was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in 1992 in Utah
- Convicted:
1992,
- Positions: Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- View report »
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- Timothy Phelps (1961 – ) was a Mormon church member in Morgantown, Kentucky; convicted of sexual abuse
- Convicted:
1995,
- Positions: Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Alleged church actions: Church position after conviction, Officials allegedly gave the accused a church duty after admission of wrongdoing, Unknown church action,
- View report »
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- Charles Shield (1942 – ) was an LDS ward executive secretary in England and Scotland; accused of sexual abuse; convicted; sentenced in 2017 to six years in prison
- Alleged failure to report
- Convicted:
2017,
- Positions: Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
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- Richard Swank was an LDS church member in California; accused of sexual abuse
- Positions: Primary, Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
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- Cody Weaver (1993 – ) was a Mormon church member and ward executive secretary in Queen Creek, Arizona; charged in 2024 with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for CSAM material investigators said they found on his home electronics
- Positions: Ward executive secretary,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing,
- Alleged church actions: Supervised escort, Ward in-person meeting,
- View report »
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Convicted:
Positions: 
Criminal case(s): 
Alleged church actions: 
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