4,160 reports of sex crimes allegedly perpetrated by Latter-day Saints (statistics »). All reports rely on court proceedings, public records, news reports or academic journals as sources.
Have any info on this or other Mormon sex abuse cases? Contact us.
As an independent newsroom, FLOODLIT relies on your generous support to make thousands of reports of sexual abuse in the Mormon church available. If you find our work helpful, please consider donating! Thank you so much for helping us shine a light.
-
- Maynard McFarland (1959 – ) was an LDS church member in California and Minnesota; sentenced in 2005 to 32 years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter for many years; released from prison in 2020; as of 2024, lives in Chula Vista, California as a registered sex offender
Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 
Crime state:
California, Minnesota,
-
- Convicted:
2005,
LDS positions: Scout leader, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, - Civil case(s): Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement,
- Alleged failure to report
- View report »
Crime state:
According to a 2022 lawsuit, a bishop knew McFarland was abusing his daughter, but didn't report the abuse to police, and continued to let McFarland participate actively in church ceremonies and meetings, including baptizing his daughter
"I allowed Satan to be my lord."
-
- 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
- Crime: 1990s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
2004, 
LDS 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, 
Alleged failure to report-
- Raymond Casillas (1970 – ) was a Mormon bishop and middle school teacher in San Antonio, Texas; arrested in 2014 and charged with felony aggravated sexual assault of a child; via a plea agreement, pleaded no contest to indecent contact with a child and agreed to a fine of $1,500; was sentenced in 2016 to 8 years in prison; as of March 2024, lives in San Antonio, Texas as a registered sex offender
- LDS positions: Bishop, Stake high council,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- View report »
-
- John Fanning (1932 – 2012) was a Mormon branch president in Texas, bishop in Oklahoma and Boy Scout executive in several US states, including Utah; accused in 1986 in Utah of sexually abusing at least three boys, including during LDS-sponsored scouting activities; admitted guilt; convicted via plea agreement in 1986 or 1987; sentenced to 30 days in jail and spent approximately 18 months on probation; died in 2012
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Louisiana, Utah,
Convicted:
1987, LDS positions: Bishop, Branch president, Missionary, Scout leader, Senior missionary, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to reportA Mormon scout executive agreed to continue paying Fanning for a month after he admitted to sexually assaulting two children
"I told [John Fanning] we had two options. Immediate termination or he could resign and I would pay him through the end of next month but he had to leave as of now. He elected to resign."
-
- Brian Griffeth (1978 – ) was a Mormon ward clerk in the Lake City, Florida area; accused of sexual abuse; criminal charges were dropped in October 2025
- LDS positions: Ward clerk,
- Criminal case(s): Charges dropped, Not convicted,
- View report »
-
- Dallin Griffeth (2004 – ) was a former Mormon missionary (Spanish-speaking mission); arrested in July 2025, accused of child sexual abuse; criminal charges were dropped in October 2025
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Charges dropped, Not convicted,
- View report »
-
- Franklin Mathias (1934 – ) was a Mormon church member and Boy scout leader in La Grande, Oregon; had a career as a schoolteacher; accused in 1987 of sexual abuse; sentenced in 1988 to four years in prison for molesting a child; he said that he had 242 victims over a 30-year period; convicted in 1997 of failure to register as a sex offender and was placed on probation for 24 months
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime county:
crime-county-or-union,
- Crime state:
Oregon,
Crime county:
Convicted:
1988, LDS positions: High priest, Scout leader, Stake high council, Sunday school, Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Probation, Mathias reportedly admitted that he had 242 victims over a 30-year period
-
- Craig Mathias (1960 – ) was a Mormon scout leader in Santa Clarita, California; was in the Northridge 1st Ward until 1983; convicted in 1987 of sexually molesting five boy scouts at his home; the alleged abuse involved up to 11 scouts; reportedly urged one victim on a recorded phone call not to tell police about the abuse; sentenced to six years in prison; released in 1990; registered sex offender (2025)
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime city:
CA - Los Angeles, CA - Santa Clarita,
- Crime county:
CA - Los Angeles,
- Crime state:
California,
Crime city:
Convicted:
1987, LDS positions: Missionary, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Alleged failure to report-
- Edwin Dyer (1935 – 1986) was a Mormon church member and scoutmaster in central Oregon; accused of sexual abuse; allegedly molested as many as 15 boys over a 28-year period; convicted in 1985 of two misdemeanors related to sexual abuse; shot and killed in 1986 by one of his victims; the Mormon church settled out of court for $200,000 with one victim
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Crime state:
Oregon,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to reportChurch officials asked Dyer to resign as scoutmaster and later disfellowshipped and excommunicated him, but allegedly did not tell police
"Until we use names, until people understand that this happened to Johnny next door, it will keep on happening."
-
- Timur Dykes was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Portland, Oregon; accused of sexual abuse; reportedly admitted to molesting 17 boys; convicted multiple times; in 1987, three plaintiffs sued the Mormon church and the Boy Scouts of America; in about 2009, the Mormon church paid $350,000 to a victim to settle its portion of a civil lawsuit
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Oregon,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- Scott Kidman (1977 – ) was a Mormon church member in Cache County, Utah; investigated in 2015-16 for alleged sexual abuse of multiple children, but charges were never filed; arrested in 2025 for alleged object rape; allegedly repeatedly sexually abused at least four young girls over a period of several years
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Ongoing, Police investigation,
- View report »
-
- William Hanson (1962 – ) was a Mormon youth leader who allegedly sexually abused children in several US states, including Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Utah, Texas, Wisconsin and New Jersey; sentenced to prison for child sexual abuse; in the 2000s, the Mormon church settled a civil lawsuit in which the victim accused it of failing to protect him
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin,
LDS positions: High priest, Scout leader, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Probation, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to report-
- James Adams (1954 – ) was a Mormon church member in Beckley, West Virginia; sentenced to prison in 1994 for sexually abusing multiple children; in 1996, a $750 million lawsuit was filed against the Mormon church alleging coverup; the suit was settled out of court in 2000
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
West Virginia,
Convicted:
1994, LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, Alleged failure to reportAbuse went on for five years after Adams first told Mormon officials, including a bishop and stake president, the lawsuit said
"The church is not in the business of covering up."
-
- Thomas Opfar (1937 – 1998) was a Mormon church member in Pennsylvania and Utah; pleaded guilty in Utah to charges related to child sexual abuse; sentenced to five to 15 years in prison
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, -
- Dennis Schult (1935 – ) was a Mormon church member and scout leader in southern California; pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation as part of a plea agreement wherein six other molestation charges were dropped; sentenced in 1991 to eight years in prison for sexually abusing two of his scouts for several years; as of 2024, registered sex offender living in Granada Hills, California
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
1991, LDS positions: Scout leader, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Prison, Registered sex offender, Alleged failure to report-
- Alfred Forrester (1936 – 2013) was a Mormon church member in California; excommunicated in the 1950s after conviction for child molestation; moved to Iowa, reoffended, incarcerated; returned to California, convicted once or twice more, then assigned to be a Mormon church scoutmaster; abused again, caught, sentenced to prison in 1979; a 2024 lawsuit against the LDS church alleged that a bishop failed to protect kids
- Crime: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,
- Crime state:
California, Iowa,
Convicted:
1956, 1960, 1966, 1979, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Probation, Registered sex offender, Released, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to report2024 lawsuit said Mormon church excommunicated Forrester after child sex abuse conviction, then later re-baptized him and assigned him to work with kids
-
- Chester Meek was a Mormon bishop in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada from 1990 to 1995; while bishop, he allegedly sexually sexual assaulted multiple female church members; at least one alleged incident of abuse occurred in the bishop's office inside an LDS church
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime country:
Canada,
Crime country:
Convicted:
2000, LDS positions: Bishop, Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Settlement, -
- Martyn Conway was a Mormon church member in England; pleaded guilty of child sexual abuse; twin brother of John Patrick Conway, who also perpetrated child sexual abuse against the same victim
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime country:
England, United Kingdom,
LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, -
- John Conway was a Mormon church member in Cambridge, UK; accused of child sexual abuse after his twin brother Martyn Conway was convicted of child sexual abuse; in both cases, the victim was the same underage boy
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Unknown result,
- View report »
-
- Curt Boyack was an LDS church member in New Mexico; accused of sexual abuse; allegedly said he would turn himself in to police; died by suicide
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Suicide,
- View report »
Filters
Select one or more criteria from the dropdown menus below to refine results.
Are you near a Mormon sex offender?
See 750+ places where LDS church members allegedly perpetrated sex crimes and where LDS sex offenders live.
View the Floodlit MapBrowse the Mormon Sexual Abuse Database
Browse the Mormon sexual abuse database »
Help Floodlit obtain court documents as we investigate and report on the topic of sexual abuse in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Donate