347 LDS sex abuse cases found
one victim
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- Todd Summers was an LDS church member and videographer for local children's events in Costa Mesa, California; accused of child sexual abuse that allegedly took place in a Mormon chapel and other locations; a 2009 civil suit against him ended with a $100,000 settlement payment by the Mormon church to the plaintiff
Alleged crime: 1990s, 
Alleged crime state:
California,
-
LDS positions: Missionary, - Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
Alleged crime state:
-
- Sean Sund (1972 – ) was an LDS primary teacher in Utah; arrested in 2018 and accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl from his LDS ward during sleepovers at his home on multiple occasions; pleaded guilty in 2022 to second-degree felony sex abuse of a child and was sentenced to 361 days in jail; registered sex offender for life
Crime: 2010s, - Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2022, 
LDS positions: Other leader, Primary, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Registered sex offender, -
- Kevin Sykes (1967 – ) was an LDS church youth leader in Utah; arrested for possessing child pornography; later arrested for forcible sodomy, human trafficking, sexual abuse of a minor, child abuse and obstructing justice; pleaded guilty in February 2023 to four counts of felony child sexual abuse; in November 2023, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in Utah
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Crime county:
Convicted:
2023, LDS positions: Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, -
- Daniel Taggart was an LDS church member in Highland, Utah; co-founder of Ancestry.com, LDSAudio.com and Infobases; in 2015, sentenced to prison in Utah for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2015, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- Keaton Tanner (1995 – ) was a Mormon church member and school teacher in Pleasant Grove, Utah; accused and arrested for alleged rape of a child; authorities requested no bail because they feared he might flee to Germany, where he was once a Mormon missionary
- Alleged crime: 2020s,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Utah,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Ongoing, -
- Todd Tanner (1970 – ) was a Mormon church member in the Cortez/Durango, Colorado area and St, George, Utah; co-founder of Utah-based dirty soda business Swig Drinks in approximately 2010; charged in 2010 in Colorado with crimes related to child sexual abuse; convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 48 months probation; allegedly was a Sunday School teacher in St. George, Utah after his conviction
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime county:
UT - Washington,
- Crime state:
Colorado,
Convicted:
2011, LDS positions: Stake high council, Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Ongoing, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Registered sex offender, After Tanner's 2011 conviction in Colorado, the Mormon church allegedly assigned him to be a Sunday School teacher for LDS teenagers in St. George, Utah
"All I wanted was to go far away to a place where you could not hurt me [..] Now I speak for the 12-year-old girl I once was. [...] You changed how I feel about myself [...] You don't deserve that kind of power. [...] Many days, it seems I feel ready to give up. [...] I continually uncover the hidden wounds that will need to be healed. [...] I choose to take back my power and relinquish the power he held over me."
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- Kelly Teters (1963 – ) was an LDS church member in Montana; in 2001, accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 1997; in 2002, found guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and sentenced to 10 years in prison
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Montana,
Convicted:
2002, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, 
Alleged failure to report-
- Mark Thomas was an LDS church member in Illinois; convicted of child sexual abuse; in a federal lawsuit filed in 2004 against the LDS church, the plaintiff alleged that Thomas molested a 4-year-old girl in about 2002 when her parents were worshipping at the Nauvoo, Illinois Temple
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Illinois,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Unknown result, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Edgar Tisdale was a Mormon church member in Washington; accused of sexual abuse
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
Washington,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, -
- Timothy Turner was an LDS church member and middle school band teacher in West Virginia; convicted in 2020 of child sexual abuse
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime state:
West Virginia,
Convicted:
2020, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Unknown result, -
- Charles Tyhurst (1947 – ) 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
- LDS positions: Bishop,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- View report »
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- Marcus Udall (1996 – ) was an LDS church member in Maricopa County, Arizona; accused of child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2014 to a reduced felony charge;
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Kimball Ungerman (1957 – ) was an LDS bishopric counselor in California; moved to Utah; pleaded guilty in 2020 to one felony count related to child sexual abuse; sentenced to prison, but term was suspended; sentenced to probation; as of 2023, registered sex offender, lives in Orem, Utah; a 2021 California lawsuit against the church said bishop Phil Stewart failed to protect a victim, and a mission president didn't report
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Seminary teacher,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Registered sex offender,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
"The Church does not keep a repository of documents relating to allegations, claims, or notification of child sexual abuse. There is no 'sexual abuse' file."
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- Bob UNKNOWN was a Mormon church member and Melchizedek priesthood holder in Lancaster, California; a 2024 civil lawsuit said he took part with a Mormon bishop and another Melchizedek priesthood holder 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
- Alleged crime: 2000s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Jim UNKNOWN was a Mormon church member and Melchizedek priesthood holder in Lancaster, California; a 2024 civil lawsuit said he took part with a Mormon bishop and another Melchizedek priesthood holder 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
- Alleged crime: 2000s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Omale Uwa (1986 – ) was a Mormon missionary in Accra, Ghana; convicted of child sexual abuse in 2010 and sentenced to prison, along with his missionary companion, That Ayono Keeng; in 2011, an Accra High Court acquitted them, ruling that the trial court was wrong in convicting the missionaries
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime country:
Ghana,
Crime country:
Convicted:
2010, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Acquitted, Convicted, Prison, -
- Homer Van Matre (1947 – 2017) was an LDS church member in Salt Lake County, Utah; found guilty of sexual abuse of child and sodomy on a child; charges were reversed on appeal when child recanted her story
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Overturned/reversed, -
- Alva Van Wagoner (1929 – 2019) was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse
- Convicted:
1999,
- LDS positions: Branch president, Ministering/home teacher, Other leader, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- View report »
"The judge also noted that he had never received so many letters in support of anyone who had come to his court before as a defendant in a criminal case."
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- Jeffrey Vargo was an LDS church member in Washington County, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime county:
UT - Washington,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2001, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, -
- Paulo Villegas (1985 – ) was a Mormon church member in Hartford, Connecticut; convicted of risk of injury to a minor after a plea agreement reduction from sexual assault charges; the victim was four years old
- Convicted:
2003,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- View report »
Before the sentencing, Solomon [judge] said Villegas blamed the victim for initiating the illegal contact. “He deliberately did what he did. It wasn’t a moment. He is way off base.”
"Being in that jail is like being in hell everyday. There are people who really want to harm me
"
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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
- Alleged crime: 2020s,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Bishop, Church employee, Missionary, Stake presidency counselor, Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Walker helped Mormon apostle Russell Ballard prepare speeches for years
"[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."
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- Matthew Wallis (1984 – ) was a Mormon church member in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana and in Ogden, Utah; pleaded guilty to a charge related to child sexual abuse
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
Louisiana,
Convicted:
2015, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Alleged failure to report-
- Stephen Wanlass (1939 – 2018) was a Mormon church member in Monroe, Sevier County, Utah; accused of child sexual abuse; in 1997, pleaded no contest to one third-degree felony count of attempted sex abuse of a child; was sentenced to up to five years in prison; registered sex offender; died in 2018
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime city:
UT - Monroe,
- Crime county:
UT - Sevier,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Crime city:
Convicted:
1997, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Prison, Registered sex offender, -
- Allen Washburn was a Mormon church member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, -
- Thomas Weaver (1973 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah; arrested in 2023 and charged with felony child sexual abuse
- Alleged crime: 2020s,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Unknown result, -
- Mark Webb (1966 – ) was an LDS church member in Murray, Utah; pleaded guilty in 2014 to two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor
- Crime: 2010s,
- Crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2014, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Probation, -
- Mark Webster was a branch president in New Mexico; accused of rape in a civil lawsuit
- LDS positions: Branch president, Other leader,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Sydney Wengreen (1959 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah; pleaded guilty to felony sexual abuse of a child; sentenced in 2003 to five years to life in prison
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
Convicted:
2012, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, -
- Jeffery Westerman (1977 – ) was a Provo, Utah police officer; was arrested for allegedly threatening to jail a woman unless she exposed herself to him
- Alleged crime: 2010s,
- Alleged crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Police investigation, Unknown result, -
- Robert Westover (1972 – ) 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
- Convicted:
2023,
- LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- View report »
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- Robert White was a Mormon missionary in South Dakota in the late 1960s; in 2008, a civil lawsuit filed against the Mormon church said he sexually abused a boy while on his mission
- Alleged crime: 1960s,
- Alleged crime state:
South Dakota,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Emmett White was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Florida; was caught in 1966 by local police soliciting an adult sex worker (prostitute); denied any inappropriate behavior around scouts
- Alleged crime: 1960s,
- Alleged crime state:
Florida,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, -
- Keith Williams (1956 – ) was a Mormon church member in Clearfield, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; allegedly molested a boy for three years; Mormon leaders allegedly failed to report the abuse to police, but approved Williams for an LDS temple wedding; convicted in 1991
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Alleged failure to report-
- Byron Wiscombe (1977 – ) was an LDS bishopric counselor and Ammon, Idaho city councilman; signed a plea agreement indicating he would admit to committing lewd conduct with a minor; sentenced to prison in 2023
- Crime: 2010s, 2020s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Convicted:
2023, LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to report-
- Michael Woodbury (1968 – ) was a Mormon young men's president and attorney in Sacramento, California; sentenced in 2006 to six months in prison for sexually abusing a boy; contrary to a news article report, did not register as a sex offender
- Convicted:
2006,
- LDS positions: Missionary, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- View report »
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- Lamar Woodbury (1954 – ) was a Mormon church member; pleaded guilty of sexual abuse on a child under the age of 14, a second degree felony
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Registered sex offender,
- View report »
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- Sean Woolf (1974 – ) was an LDS church member and full-time missionary; accused of sexual abuse of a child; the alleged abuse occurred during his mission; the victim later sued or planned to sue the Mormon church in 2020; the church settled with the victim, according to a person familiar with the case
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
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- Gary Woolstenhulme (1933 – 2002) was a Mormon bishop in Imperial Beach, California in 1978; died in 2002; 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 (plaintiff John Roe JB 65 - San Diego 24CU008107, CASD 3:24-cv-02349-AJB-MSB); allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy in his office at church
- Alleged crime: 1970s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report-
- Kenne Worthen (1988 – ) was a Mormon elementary school teacher and BYU-Idaho adjunct professor in Arizona who sexually abused a 12-year-old child; in 2015, pleaded guilty to sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of attempt to commit child molestation; sentenced to 25 years in prison and a lifetime of probation after
- Convicted:
2015,
- LDS positions: BYU, Scout leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Probation,
- View report »
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- Harvey Wright (1945 – ) was an LDS church member and scout leader in Flagstaff, AZ; in 1988, pleaded guilty to "Attempted Sexual Abuse/Dangerous Crimes Against Children" and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years probation; placed in the BSA Confidential Files ("Perversion Files")
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, -
- Timothy Wright was a Mormon church member in Santa Clara, California; convicted in 1994 of one or more felonies related to child sexual abuse; a 1994 civil lawsuit against the Mormon church said he molested a boy between 1989 and 1992, when the boy was 14 to 17 years old (actions for which he was convicted); the suit was dismissed in 1995 for failure to appear by the plaintiff's attorneys
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
1994, LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Civil case(s): Dismissed, Lawsuit v. LDS church, -
- Jimmy Young (1966 – ) was a Mormon church member and scout volunteer in Texas; arrested for sexually abusing a scout in his troop
- Alleged crime: 1980s,
- Alleged crime state:
Texas,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Unknown result, -
- Luis Zarate was a Mormon bishop in Panama; accused of sexual abuse of a 4-year-old
- Alleged crime: 2010s,
- Alleged crime country:
Panama,
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Unknown result, Alleged failure to report-
- Krew Zaugg (2003 – ) was a Mormon church member in Idaho Falls, Idaho; went on an LDS mission to Louisiana and Mississippi from August 2022 to 2024; charged in June 2025 with multiple felonies after police said he sexually assaulted a minor; charged with rape of a victim under the age of 16 and lewd conduct with a child under 16
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing,
- View report »
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- Justin Zierke (1980 – ) was a Mormon church member and middle school teacher in Idaho Falls, Idaho; Zierke accepted a plea deal and pled guilty of injury to a child; received 30 days in jail and 2 years probation; lost teaching license
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Idaho,
Convicted:
2025, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, -
- Karey Zimmerman (1962 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah and Nevada; in 2025, was accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse that allegedly took place in Nevada and Utah; the Mormon church was also named as a defendant; the lawsuit said a Utah bishop failed to report abuse allegations to police
- Alleged crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Alleged crime county:
UT - Salt Lake,
- Alleged crime state:
Nevada, Utah,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportFilters
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