4,199 reports of sex crimes allegedly perpetrated by Latter-day Saints (statistics »). Sources include court documents, public records, news reports, academic journals, and survivors or witnesses of alleged abuse.
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- Joseph Smith (1805 – 1844) was the founder of the LDS church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church); was publicly accused during his life (1805-1844) of sexual misconduct, including adultery and illegal polygamy; in May 1844, a Hancock County, Illinois grand jury indicted Smith for perjury, fornication and polygamy; died in June 1844
Alleged crime: 1830s, 1840s, 
Alleged crime state:
Illinois, Missouri, Ohio,
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LDS positions: Apostle, - Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Alleged failure to report
Alleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report, - View report »
Alleged crime state:
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- Bishop Baldwin was a Mormon bishop in Pittsburg, California in 1989; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse that allegedly lasted from 1989 to 1997, when the victim was 5 to 13 years old; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Alleged crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Bishop, 
Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, 
Alleged failure to report
Alleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- 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 state:
Nevada, Utah,
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- 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 reportAlleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- Russell Harbin (1974 – ) was a Mormon church member in Polson, Montana; convicted of sexual intercourse without consent with an 11-year-old child; the alleged abuse lasted from 2022 to 2024; he allegedly was assigned to be a Primary teacher sometime after the abuse began; sentenced in 2025 to 40 years in prison; the judge suspended 20 years of the 40-year term
- Crime: 2020s,
- Crime state:
Montana,
Convicted:
2025, LDS positions: Primary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- Thomas Schofield (1955 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Elk Grove, Sacramento County, California; accused in a 2024 civil lawsuit of sexually abusing a 16-year-old child in 2004-05 while he was a Mormon Bishop; some of the alleged abuse took place in the Salt Lake City and Oakland LDS temples and the bishop's office at church
- Alleged crime: 2000s,
- Alleged crime state:
California, Utah,
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- Todd Edwards (1964 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Menifee, Riverside County, California; in 2013, sentenced to three years in prison for sexual abuse of one teenage girl in 2006 and another in 2012; was bishop at the time of the 2012 abuse; in 2024, two victims sued the LDS church in separate lawsuits; one said a stake president and LDS law firm Kirton McConkie hindered police
- Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
California,
Convicted:
2013, LDS positions: Bishop, Youth leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Counseling/therapy for victim, Ward official accused of failure to report, -
- Gene Guinn (1932 – 2008) was an LDS church member in the Dallas Seventh Ward, Texas; in 2000, found guilty by a jury of indecency with a child and sentenced to 68 years in prison; the victim was 10 years old at the time of the crime; Mormon officials allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to report to police
- Crime: 1990s,
- Crime state:
Texas,
Convicted:
2000, LDS positions: High priest, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Found guilty, Jury trial, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, Ward official accused of failure to report, Ward official accused of pressuring victim not to seek accountability, -
- Kenneth Jenks (1941 – ) was an LDS church member in California (Milpitas Ward); was a ward executive secretary and ward librarian; charged with sexual abuse; convicted; served 14 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor under duress; three victims sued the LDS church, claiming it knew about Jenks's abuse but allowed him to work with children
- Crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
California,
LDS positions: Other leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Church position after conviction, Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- Jay Grant (1902 – 1988) was a Mormon bishop of the Adams Ward in Los Angeles, California; charged in 1981, at age 79, with five counts of forcible sexual abuse; sexually assaulted three young girls; convicted of all five counts; died in 1988 in Orem, Utah; ran "Grandpa Grant's Memory Club," a neighborhood study group for up to 175 LDS children; Grant sometimes had "students" spend the night at his apartment
- LDS positions: Bishop, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
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- Charles Richmond (1962 – ) was an LDS church member and LDS addiction recovery specialist in Hutchinson, Kansas; convicted of aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =>18 fondle child <14; in prison in Kansas as of 2024
- Convicted:
2019,
- LDS positions: Other leader, Sunday school,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
Prosecutors said the victim reported her abuse in order to protect another child from getting hurt
"My daughter is hurt … She's angry at the world. [...] She can't quiet the memory of a childhood robbed from her."
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- David Cannata (1965 – ) was a Mormon bishop in Tucson, Arizona in 2005 when he sexually abused a child who was 5 or 6 years old; was a stake high council member sometime in the 2010s; was confronted by the victim and turned himself into the police; convicted in 2019 and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison; was excommunicated from the Mormon church because of the abuse
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Arizona,
Convicted:
2019, LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Stake high council, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, -
- Gordon Bodily (1949 – ) was a Mormon bishop and physical education teacher in Hyrum, Cache Valley, Utah; accused in 2000 of luring a 17-year-old North Carolina girl to Utah for sex while serving as an LDS bishop; sentenced in 2001 to 21 months in federal prison
- Crime: 2000s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
2001, LDS positions: Bishop, Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, -
- Michael Driggs (1950 – ) was a Mormon missionary in Brazil in the early 1970s; allegedly sent to a different mission in the United States after being found having inappropriate relationships with young boys; convicted of child sexual abuse in 1985 in Arizona; convicted again of child sexual abuse in 2013 in Utah; he met his victim in the Utah case at church, according to court documents
- Crime: 1980s, 2000s,
- Crime state:
Arizona, Utah,
Convicted:
2013, LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Excommunicated, -
- Daniel Willard (1988 – ) was a Mormon church member in St. Charles, Missouri; pleaded guilty to Possession Of Child Pornography and Furnish Pornographic Material Or Attempt To Furnish To A Minor; registered sex offender
- LDS positions: Primary,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
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- Carlos Escalante was an LDS branch president in San Nicolas, Argentina; sexually abused his stepdaughter for 5 years, including while branch president; the victim asked local LDS leaders for support, but allegedly received none; she was punished by the church for "refusing to forgive" and for "failing to comply with worthiness standards;" Escalante was sentenced in 2018 to 14 years in prison
- Convicted:
2018,
- LDS positions: Branch president,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
- Alleged failure to report
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
- View report »
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- William Whitmore (1962 – ) was an LDS church member in Mesa, Arizona; convicted of sexual abuse
- LDS positions: Unknown position,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
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- Robert Nelson (1949 – ) was an LDS bishop in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; accused of sexual abuse of a "mentally handicapped" woman; pleaded guilty in 1989; placed on two years probation, ordered to do 150 hours of community service, and ordered to take a conducted tour of a local jail
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime country:
Canada,
Crime country:
LDS positions: Bishop, Criminal case(s): Community service, Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Probation, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, 
LDS positions: Missionary, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender, Unknown result, Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- Timothy Ballard (1976 – ) was a Mormon anti-sex trafficking activist; claimed to be friends with LDS apostle Russell Ballard (no relation); accused in 2023 of sexual misconduct by at least eight women and a couple; in June 2024, one civil case was dismissed; in July 2024, a lawsuit said his DNA was found on a victim’s skirt
- LDS positions: Missionary,
- Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted, Ongoing, Police investigation,
- Civil case(s): Ongoing,
- Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
- View report »
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