Mormon sexual abuse cases: new updates

• Scott C. Bowers
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  • Scott Bowers (1955 – ) was a Mormon church member in Salt Lake City, Utah; April 2006 was convicted of 2 counts of: SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD/2ND DEGREE FELONY and August 2006 was convicted of 2 counts of: AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD/1ST DEGREE FELONY and 1 count of: RAPE OF A CHILD/1ST DEGREE FELONY; is a registered sex offender living in Richfield, Utah
  • Convicted: 2006,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted,
  • Alleged church actions: unknown,
  • View report »
• Erick Allen Mosteller
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  • Erick Mosteller (1965 – ) was a Mormon church member and former youth leader in Utah; was caught downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM); admitted to soliciting sex acts from trafficked women at Asian massage parlors; pleaded guilty in March 2023 to two second degree felony charges of child sexual exploitation; sentenced in August 2023 to 250 days in jail, with credit for 79 days served; placed on 4 years probation
  • Crime: 2020s,
  • Crime state: Utah,
  • Convicted: 2023,
  • LDS positions: Missionary, Youth leader,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
  • Alleged church actions: Church members wrote letters of support,
  "The objective computer evidence and the admissions of the Defendent during his police interview show that the Defendent has been viewing child sex abuse material (child pornography) since 2002" -prosectutors state of Utah
  "That must have been a bad day for me. "
  — -Mosteller, when confronted with evidence that he had opened a significant number of CSAM videos on a certain day, after denying he had ever looked at any. - FBI interview, per prosecutors 2022
  • View report »
• Carl Dee Pratt
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  • Carl Pratt (1930 – 2006) was a Mormon bishop in San Manuel, Arizona; allegedly sexually abused a boy in his ward, in the bishop's office at an LDS chapel; the victim provided documents to Floodlit in 2023 detailing the abuse allegations; excommunicated in 1993, per victim; apparently rebaptized in 1990s; worked for seven years in Provo Utah Temple, per obit; died in 2006
  • Alleged crime: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
  • Alleged crime state: Arizona,
  • LDS positions: Bishop, High priest, Other leader, Scout leader, Stake high council, Stake presidency counselor, Temple worker,
  • Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
  • Alleged failure to report
  • Alleged church actions: Church position after excommunication, Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
  • View report »
• UNKNOWN Houska
  • 
  • UNKNOWN Houska was an LDS church member (reportedly a bishop or other leader) in Cerritos, California; accused of sexual abuse by a claimant in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) bankruptcy; the alleged abuse took place in 1978
  • Alleged crime: 1970s,
  • Alleged crime state: California,
  • LDS positions: Bishop, Other leader,
  • Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
  • View report »
• Joshua Matthew Twelves
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  • Joshua Twelves (1976 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah; convicted in 2016 of two second-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; as of April 2026, is a registered sex offender in Magna, Utah
  • Convicted: 2016,
  • LDS positions: Unknown position,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender,
  • Alleged church actions: Unknown church action,
  • View report »
• Eugene Wasson Ballantyne
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  • Eugene Ballantyne (1982 – ) was a Mormon church member and middle school teacher; pleaded guilty in July 2012 to one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity; as of April 2026, is a registered sex offender living in Riverside, California
  • Crime: 2010s,
  • Crime state: California,
  • Convicted: 2012,
  • LDS positions: Unknown position,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Registered sex offender,
  • Alleged church actions: unknown,
  • View report »
• Corey Baxter Taylor
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  • Corey Taylor (1960 – ) was a Mormon church member in Baltimore, Maryland; pleaded guilty to two felony counts related to sexual abuse of two minor children; in 2026, sentenced to 15 years in prison
  • Crime: 1980s,
  • Crime state: Maryland,
  • Convicted: 2026,
  • LDS positions: Boyscouts,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, convicted pleaded guilty,
  • Alleged church actions: Approved for rebaptism, Church member allegedly wrote to First Presidency in support of accused, Excommunicated, repaptized,
  • View report »
• Melvin Eugene Barhite
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  • Melvin Barhite (1944 – ) was a Mormon church member in Michigan; convicted of sex crimes; sentenced in 2001 to prison; while in prison, argued that prison officials violated his religious rights by confiscating photos of scantily clad females between the ages of 14-26; was convicted April 2026 1st degree criminal sexual conduct, also convicted for failing to register as sex offender in Kent County.
  • Crime: 2000s, 2010s,
  • Crime state: Michigan,
  • Convicted: 2001, 2026,
  • LDS positions: Unknown position,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender,
  • Alleged church actions: unknown,
  • View report »
• Wade S Christofferson
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  • Wade Christofferson (1953 – ) was accused, per Floodlit's sources, of sexually abusing up to 12 children in Illinois, Ohio and Utah between 1985-2025, including while in bishopric; excommunicated in 1996 for child sexual abuse; rebaptized in 1997, was bishopric counselor 2006-11, 2016-19; charged in 2025 with child sexual abuse (alleged between 2016-25); his brother, apostle Todd Christofferson, knew by around 2020 of abuse
  • Alleged crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2010s, 2020s,
  • Alleged crime state: Illinois, Ohio, Utah,
  • LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Sunday school, Ward clerk,
  • Criminal case(s): Not convicted, Ongoing, Police investigation,
  • Alleged failure to report
  • Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Church position after excommunication, Excommunicated, High-level official accused of failure to report, Rebaptized, Ward official accused of failure to report,
  "I am deeply sorry for what I have done and will be meeting with my bishop to start the repentance process." - Wade Christofferson, Nov. 6, 2025 text message to an alleged victim's father
  "I went to my bishop. I reported it. I was a child expecting safety, expecting protection. [...] Instead, I was given a punishment."
  — abuse survivor Kristin Dunbar Mautz, quoted in Salt Lake Tribune, Apr. 25, 2026
  • View report »
• William Sterling Evans
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  • William Evans (1909 – 1991) was a prominent Mormon church member in Salt Lake City, Utah; was bishop twice of the Grant 6th ward; from 1957 to 1962, was in the Utah State Legislature; served as Salt Lake County Clerk from 1968 to 1983; died in 1991; allegedly raped a relative in Salt Lake City in the early 1980s
  • Alleged crime: 1980s,
  • Alleged crime state: Utah,
  • LDS positions: Bishop, Stake presidency counselor,
  • Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
  • Alleged failure to report
  • Alleged church actions: Unknown church action,
  When Evans died, the family of one of his children reportedly received a condolence letter from the First Presidency of the LDS church
  "Glen Elden VanWagenen (d. 2002). VanWagenen, a former bishop, worked for the LDS Church Welfare and Missionary Departments. Glen allegedly said that the two relatives should just let the matter lie, that they shouldn't report the abuse to authorities, and that God would take care of Evans in the next life."
  • View report »
• Troy Edward McKee
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  • Troy McKee (1967 – ) was a Mormon church member in Utah; convicted in 1992 of ENTICING A MINOR/2ND DEGREE FELONY, ENTICE SOLICIT SEDUCE OR LURE A MINOR BY INTERNET OR TEXT - 2nd Degree Felony,LEWDNESS INVOLVING A CHILD/CLASS A MISDEMEANOR; is registered sex offender living in Spanish Fork, Utah
  • Crime: 1990s,
  • Crime state: Utah,
  • Convicted: 1992,
  • LDS positions: Bishopric counselor,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Registered sex offender,
  • Alleged church actions: unknown,
  • View report »
• Daniel Matthew Mooy
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  • Daniel Mooy (1972 – ) was a Mormon church member in St. George, Utah; pleaded guilty to two counts of lewdness and intoxication in April 2026; took off his clothes while shooting content for a luxury house that was to be listed for sale.
  • Crime: 2020s,
  • Crime state: Utah,
  • Convicted: 2026,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
  • Alleged church actions: unknown,
  • View report »
• Daphney Matthews
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  • Daphney Matthews (1970 – ) was a Mormon church member in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; accused of sexual abuse
  • LDS positions: Youth leader,
  • Criminal case(s): Admitted guilt, Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Unknown result,
  • View report »
• Arvid Mark Oakley
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  • Arvid Oakley (1943 – ) was a Mormon church member in Springville, Utah; accused of sexually abusing several girls who were between 4 and 6 years old; one alleged instance of abuse took place during his LDS mission to Uruguay in 1963; convicted of child sexual abuse in 1998; as of April 2026, is in prison in Utah
  • Crime: 1960s, 1990s,
  • Crime state: Utah,
  • Crime country: Uruguay,
  • Convicted: 1998,
  • LDS positions: Missionary,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison,
  • Alleged church actions: unknown,
  Investigators said Oakley inspected some naked children in a room in his house that he called "the tick room" as he operated a daycare
  "He has abused so many children that he can't keep his victims straight."
  — Utah County Attorney Kay Bryson, 1998
  • View report »
• Niles Lorence Carr
  • 
  • Niles Carr was a Mormon missionary in Ireland in the late 1980s, originally from California; convicted of child sexual abuse charges; Mormon leaders allegedly assigned Carr to work with Boy Scouts after knowing he was sent home from his mission due to child sex abuse allegations
  • Crime: 1980s,
  • Crime state: California,
  • Crime country: Ireland,
  • LDS positions: Missionary,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted,
  • Alleged failure to report
  • Alleged church actions: sent home early from mission, Ward official accused of failure to report,
  • View report »
• Paul William Newman
  • 
  • Paul Newman (1957 – ) was a former Mormon bishop in Highland, Utah; charged in 2020 with one second-degree felony count of attempted sex abuse of a child; the alleged abuse took place in 2013, while Newman was a bishop; in 2022, pleaded no contest to a reduced third-degree count; a prison term of up to five years was suspended; was fined $1,003 and placed on 48 months of probation; registered sex offender
  • Crime: 2010s,
  • Crime state: Utah,
  • Convicted: 2022,
  • LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, Scout leader, Youth leader,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Probation, Registered sex offender,
  • Alleged church actions: Excommunicated,
  • View report »
• Allan Colman Cook
  • 
  • Allan Cook (1948 – ) was a Mormon church member in West Jordan, Utah; accused of child sexual abuse; pleaded guilty in 2020 to three second degree felony charges of aggravated child sexual abuse; sentenced to prison in 2020
  • Convicted: 2020,
  • LDS positions: Missionary,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
  "What we felt had happened, though serious, was nothing that warranted a felony charge."
  — a relative of Cook, in a letter of support to the judge, April 2020
  • View report »
• Roy Webb Hunt
  • 
  • Roy Hunt (1959 – ) was a Mormon church member in Maricopa County, Arizona; former city manager in Snowflake and Holbrook and a public finance banker at the National Bank of Arizona; accused of child sexual abuse in 2004; pleaded guilty in 2005 to a reduced charge; sentenced to prison in Arizona in 2005
  • Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
  • Crime state: Arizona,
  • Convicted: 2005,
  • LDS positions: Unknown position,
  • Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison,
  • Alleged failure to report
  • Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized,
  "Her parents took her to their bishop, who urged them to call police but said there was little else he or the church could do."
  — from a police report described in East Valley Tribune article, 2004
  • View report »
• Kay Leroi Walker
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  • Kay Walker (1942 – ) was a Mormon church member and Nauvoo Inn owner in Nauvoo, Illinois; charged with sexually abusing his employees; entered an Alford plea in 2004, resulting in a conviction while maintaining his innocence before the court; January 2024: lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho
  • Crime: 2000s,
  • Crime state: Illinois,
  • Convicted: 2004,
  • LDS positions: Missionary,
  • Criminal case(s): Alford plea, Convicted, Found guilty, Probation,
  Despite having at least eight victims of alleged sexual assault, Walker was able to enter an Alford plea to reduced misdemeanor battery charges
  "Nobody was traumatized by this. It wasn't like anybody was raped ... it's not like anybody has had to go to therapy for five years."
  — Hancock County, Illinois State's Attorney Karen Andrews, defending her decision to reduce felony charges against Walker to misdemeanor battery, 2004
  • View report »
• David Shwenke Tupou
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  • David Tupou was a Mormon church member in California; accused of sexual abuse
  • LDS positions: Unknown position,
  • Criminal case(s): Unknown result,
  • View report »

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