1980s

49 Mormon sexual abuse cases

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Terry George Allen
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was an LDS church member in California; in 1987, was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to six years in prison; was assigned to multiple trusted church positions, including Sunday school president, despite the Mormon church being aware that he had raped a teenager; LDS leaders were accused of hiding his abuse from local church members; as of 2024, lives in Grapevine, Texas.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Larren Bybee Arnold
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Idaho; in 1984, arrested for lewd conduct with a minor under sixteen (molested a nine year-old boy) in Idaho; convicted in October 1984; received a five year suspended sentence and three years probation.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Settlement paid by LDS church: Yes (undisclosed amount)
- Case report »
Norman Carl Barber
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was a Mormon church member and dentist in Layton, Utah; was a scout leader; pleaded guilty in 1988 to sexually abusing two girls who were his dental patients; the sexual abuse occurred in his dental office and included drugging one or both girls with nitrous oxide.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Healthcare appointment, Perpetrator's workplace,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Bryan A Barner
- was a Mormon church member in New York in the 1980s; scout leader, molested a 12-year-old boy and two 13-year-old boys; sentenced to no more than one year in prison.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Robert Ersol Berchtold
- was a Mormon church member in Idaho; sexually abused a child; in 1986, was found guilty of rape of a child and spent one year in jail.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Victim's home,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Arthur Gary Bishop
- was a Mormon boy scout leader in Utah; was excommunicated in the 1970s; later molested multiple children and killed five young boys; was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 1988.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
David James Borg
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader; pleaded guilty to molesting multiple boys; sentenced to 34 years in prison.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Dennis Bough
- was a Mormon church member in Washington; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Gerald Wayne Burgie
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Utah; charged in 1981 with third degree felony foriclbe sexual abuse; convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a child.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Probation,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Jon Rick Carpenter
- was an LDS church member; sentenced to prison for child sexual abuse; the day after sentencing, injured himself to avoid serving longer in prison.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
John Lee Cox
- was a Mormon church member in Clackamas County, Oregon; convicted of child sexual abuse.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Thomas Eugene Dawkins
- was an LDS church member in Columbia, South Carolina; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in 1986; the conviction was later overturned.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Overturned/reversed,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: LDS church activity,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Oliver Dean Eames
- was an LDS church member, sixth grade teacher and Mormon Tabernacle Choir singer in Farmington, Utah; admitted to trying to fondle several children he had been hired to tutor; pleaded guilty in 1988 to two felony counts of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child; local police had documented 52 alleged child sexual abuse incidents involving him.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Stephen D Field
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse; sentenced to prison.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Vernon Foster
- was an LDS church member in Louisiana; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty; was convicted.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
William W Gillespie
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was an LDS church member in Alabama; accused of sexual abuse; convicted; conviction was reversed on appeal.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Overturned/reversed, Unknown,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Albert Dee Halladay
- was a former LDS bishop in Sandy, Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 1988; pleaded guilty in 1989 to one second degree felony charge of sex abuse of a child; convicted.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Leroy Ball Hamblin
- was a Webelos scout leader in Kaysville, Utah; pleaded guilty in 1987 to lewdness with a child; served prison time.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
James Francis Hogan
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Oregon; in 1989, was sentenced to five years in prison for child sexual abuse; released in 1994; in 2011, a victim filed a civil lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, seeking $5.2 million.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Released,
- Civil case: Settlement,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime scenes: LDS church building,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Settlement paid by LDS church: Yes (undisclosed amount)
- Case report »
Les Ernest Johnson
- was a Mormon church member in northern Utah; found guilty of child sexual abuse; was granted parole in 1984 in Utah after serving 7 months of a 0-5 year prison sentence; as of 2023, lives in Bountiful, Utah.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison, Released,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Willis Dale King
- was an LDS church member; accused of sexual abuse; pleaded guilty.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Dennis Joe Loveless
- was a Mormon church member in Farmington, Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 1977 and 1984; sentenced to prison both times; died in 2016.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1900 to 1979, 1980s,
- Case report »
Franklin Leon Mathias
- was a former Mormon church member and Boy scout leader in 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.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case: Unknown result,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, 100 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Scout activity/event,
- Crime years: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Norman Arthur Maxfield
- was an LDS church member and high school drama teacher in Utah; convicted in 1988 of sexually abusing boys.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Unknown,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Jay Douglas Mitchell
- was an Mormon church member and scout leader in Oregon; sentenced to a total of sixty years in prison with a minimum of thirty years, for child sexual abuse.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Thomas Lee Monson
- was an attorney for the LDS church's law firm, Kirton McConkie; In 1989, Monson paid a $75 fine and was placed on probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from a prostitute; sued in the 1990s for sexual harassment; reached a settlement with the victim; was a Mormon bishop in Utah in 2008.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Pleaded guilty,
- Civil case: Settlement,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s, 1990s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Joseph Montanino
- was an LDS church member and scout leader in Massachusetts; had a career as a police officer; accused in 1982 of sexual abuse.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Richard W Nelson
- was an LDS church member; pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Robert Kenneth Nelson
- 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.
- Criminal case: Community service, Convicted, Jail, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Rand Darrell Newby
- was an LDS church member and scout leader in Washington, Oregon and San Francisco, California; had a career as a schoolteacher; charged in Oregon in 1986 with sexual abuse of two children; convicted of two counts, one class C felony and one class A misdemeanor; sentenced in 1987 to 5 years probation.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Plea agreement, Pleaded guilty, Probation,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 2 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Thomas Opfar
- was a Mormon church member; pleaded guilty of child sexual abuse.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Brian Richard Peterson
- was an LDS church member and scout leader in Orem, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; convicted and sentenced to prison.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Kenneth R Rarick
- was a Mormon church member in Alaska; accused of sexual abuse; convicted.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 3 victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Phillip Kowalewski Rimmasch
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Utah in the 1980s; had a 50-plus year career as a mortician; convicted of child sexual abuse; on appeal, the Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial in 1989.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Overturned/reversed,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Eldon Andrew Saling
- was a Mormon church member in California and Utah; convicted in 1987 in California and in 1993 in Utah of charges related to sexual abuse; as of 2024, lives in Burley, Idaho as a registered sex offender.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Registered sex offender,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s, 1990s,
- Convicted in: 1980s, 1990s,
- Case report »
James Vetro Samuels
- was a Mormon church member in Thornton, Idaho; found guilty of LEWD COND WITH A MINOR CHILD U/16 Date : 03-18-1980.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
James Phillip Schmidt
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was an LDS church member and scout leader, with multiple charges of child sexual abuse over six years; convicted in the late 1990s in Maryland; as of 2024, registered as a sex offender.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: Unknown result,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s,
- Convicted in: 1980s, 1990s,
- Case report »
Michael Rex Shean
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was a Mormon bishopric counselor and temple worker, and deputy district attorney in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, California; convicted of sexually molesting boys.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Civil case: lawsuit against LDS church, LDS church found negligent, Settlement,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Settlement paid by LDS church: Yes (undisclosed amount)
- Case report »
Charles Michael Snider
- was an LDS church member in Georgia; accused of sexual abuse.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Sidney L Spencer
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was a Mormon church member and scout leader in Idaho; convicted in 1984 of child sexual abuse; a Mormon bishop approved his application to be a scout leader despite his prior sex crime conviction.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime scenes: Unknown crime scene,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
James Grant Stringham
- was an LDS church member and physician in Salt Lake City; in 1982, was found guilty of sexual exploitation of a minor; was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay $7,500 restitution.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: No civil case,
- Victims: Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Healthcare appointment,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Unknown Survivor
- FLOODLIT honors every survivor, and remembers those who were never heard..
- Criminal case: Convicted, Never charged, Not convicted, Ongoing, Unknown,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, 100 or more victims, Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1800s, 1900 to 1949, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s,
- Convicted in: 1800s, 1900 to 1979, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Never convicted,
- Case report »
Anthony Mark Teeples
- was an LDS church member in Cache County, Utah; accused of sexual abuse; convicted in 1989 and in 2019.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Unknown,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s, 2010s,
- Convicted in: 1980s, 2010s, 2019,
- Case report »
John Tholen
- was a Mormon church member; sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing children he babysat with his wife Judith Tholen, who also sexually abused them.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Judith Tholen
- was a Mormon church member; sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing children she babysat with her husband John Tholen, who also sexually abused them.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison,
- Victims: Multiple victims, Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1970s, 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Homer Lewis Van Matre
- was an LDS church member in Salt Lake County, Utah; found guilty of sexual abuse of child and sodomy on a child and charges were reversed in appeal when child recanted her story.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Overturned/reversed,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Edwin Jay Wilcox
- was a Mormon church member in Idaho; ran a therapy center for "handicapped people" (as described in 1989 news article); convicted of child sexual abuse in 1988 and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
- Criminal case: Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender,
- Victims: Unknown number of victims,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Harvey Dee Wright
- was an LDS church member and Scout leader in Flagstaff, AZ; in 1988 pleaded guilty to "Attempted Sexual Abuse/Dangerous Crimes Against Children" and received 90 days in jail and 4 years probation; placed on the BSA Confidential Files.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Victims: 1 victim,
- Crime years: 1980s,
- Convicted in: 1980s,
- Case report »
Mitchell Blake Young
- Leaders allegedly hid sex crimes
- was an LDS missionary in Canada; in 1980, sent home after allegedly molesting children; convicted in Arizona (1985) and Utah (1988) of child sexual abuse; in 1993, sentenced in Utah to 15 years in prison for molesting a child for five years; a 2002 lawsuit against the LDS church accused Mormon leaders of providing a safe harbor for him; as of 2024, lives in Ogden, Utah; registered sex offender.
- Criminal case: Convicted,
- Civil case: lawsuit against LDS church, Unknown result,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime years: 1980s, 1990s,
- Convicted in: 1980s, 1990s,
- Case report »

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