94 matching Mormon sex abuse cases

  • Crime years: 2020s
    • Darcy Anderson was an LDS church member in Utah; convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl; sentenced in 2022 to serve a minimum of 16 years in prison
    • Denny Antreo was an LDS church member in Rexburg, Idaho; accused of breaking and entering women's apartments at BYU-Idaho and watching them sleep
    • Paul Barnes was a Mormon stake patriarch and former stake presidency counselor in Queen Creek, Arizona; accused of child sexual abuse that took place in 2022 in Idaho; convicted in 2023 or later and sentenced to prison
    • Charles Bates was a Mormon church member and Boy Scout leader in the Salt Lake City, Utah area; accused in 2025 of sexual abuse of four boys that allegedly took place from at least 2006 to 2020; the alleged abuse took place on numerous occasions in Bates's home and vehicle, the Kearns Community Pool, and Boy Scouts trips; Bates allegedly created child sex abuse material (CSAM) of multiple victims
    • Gary Bell was an LDS church member and former prosecutor in Utah; pleaded guilty in December 2022 to four second degree felony charges related to child sexual abuse; sentenced in January 2023 to one to 15 years in prison; in June 2023, was convicted of 15 counts of 2nd degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of class B misdemeanor voyeurism; no additional prison time was added
    • Cristifer Biggs was an LDS returned missionary and BYU-Idaho student; convicted in July 2023 of one first degree felony count of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor
    • Stanley Bitsoi was a Mormon church member in Rigby, Idaho; convicted of a felony sex crime (Lewd Conduct with Child Under 16); sentenced to jail and probation
    • Brandon Brown was an LDS church member in Pocatello, Idaho; accused in 2024 of untying two teenage girls' swimsuit tops and touching them inappropriately at a mall in Chubbuck, Idaho; also accused of inappropriately touching a third teenage girl; in 2025, entered Alford pleas to felony and misdemeanor counts of sexual battery of a child; a judge rejected the plea agreement
    • Jared Buckley was a Mormon church member and charter school director (Leadership Learning Academy) in Clearfield, Utah; was a Mormon missionary in the Philippines from 2004 to 2006 (Quezon City Mission); arrested in April 2025 on suspicion of child sexual exploitation; was reportedly a stake young men's president when arrested
    • Samuel Butler was a Mormon church member; sentenced in 2020 to 15 years to life in prison for child sexual abuse
    • Charles Camper was a Mormon church member in Layton, Utah; convicted of child sexual abuse in 2004; charged in 2023 with aggravated child sexual abuse, voyeurism and sexual exploitation of a minor; convicted in June 2024
    • Albert Carlson was a Mormon church member in Utah, New Mexico and Texas; arrested in the 1980s in Utah on a molestation charge after allegedly molesting an underage boy who he met through the church; the case was dropped to a lewdness charge which did not require him to register as a sex offender; in 2025, sentenced in Texas to life in prison for child sexual abuse
    • Kevin Christensen was a Mormon church member and judge in Brigham City, Utah; accused of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to individuals he believed to be minor children; pleaded not guilty in July 2025
    • Russell Crosland was a Mormon church member in Fillmore, Utah; tried meeting with a person he thought was a 13-year-old child that he chatted with online for sex; it was an undercover agent; he was arrested
    • Abraham Cruz was a Mormon missionary in Saratoga Springs, Utah; arrested in May 2024 on suspicion of sexual assault; charged with three first-degree felony counts (two of forcible sodomy, one of rape); charges were dismissed without prejudice in June 2024
    • Candon Dahle was a Mormon church member in Blackfoot, Idaho and Provo, Utah; in February 2025, arrested in Utah, extradited to Idaho; at the time of arrest, was a starting pitcher for the BYU baseball team; charged in Fremont County with felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 (pleaded guilty in May 2025); charged in Bingham County for a juvenile child sex abuse case (dismissed via Fremont plea agreement)
    • Troy Dameron was a Mormon church member, electrician and sheriff's deputy in Teton County, Idaho; lived in Rexburg, Idaho; a 911 dispatcher said he asked her sexually charged questions, shared sexual fantasies and masturbated in a bathroom near her work desk; pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of indecent exposure; sentenced in May 2024 to 15 days in jail (with work release) and two years of probation
    • Buckland Darrell was a former LDS Primary teacher in Redmond, Washington; accused of molesting young boys in sacrament meeting and at their homes; charged with first-degree felony child molestation in 2022-23 (5 victims); admitted to sexually abusing around 6 to 8 boys; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2024 to at least 8 years in prison; faced two additional counts in March 2025 after two more victims came forward
    • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
    • Scott Darrington was a former LDS bishop and assistant school principal in Fallon, Nevada; convicted of possession of child pornography, spent a year in prison
    • Larry Deutsch was a Mormon bishop in Missouri; arrested in 2020 and charged with possession of child pornography (child sexual abuse material, or CSAM) and accused of luring an underage teenager from Arizona to Missouri; pleaded guilty; sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in federal prison plus a lifetime of supervised release; in 2024, the victim filed a civil lawsuit against the LDS church
    • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
    • Adam Dimond was an LDS church member and dancer in Farmington, Utah; pleaded guilty in 2020 to a second-degree felony charge of enticing a minor by Internet or text; sentenced to 40 days in jail and 4 years of probation
    • Robert Dindinger was an LDS church member, psychologist and pornography addiction book author in Orem, Utah; was an LDS missionary in Scotland 1995-97; worked at Brigham Young University; charged in 2025 with convincing child patients to undress so he could secretly record them; in 2018, his license was placed on probation after he "inappropriately touched" a 17-year-old during "masturbation satiation therapy"
    • Jeremy Dumas was a Mormon bishop and boy scout leader in Indiana; pleaded guilty to charges related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in 2024; sentenced in September 2024 to 10 years in federal prison
    • Chet Egley was a Mormon church member in Weston, Idaho; tried to meet a 13 year old girl for sex in Utah; pleaded guilty and convicted to one count sexual abuse of a child and two counts of enticing a minor by internet or text
    • Samuel Faber was an LDS church member in Sandy, Utah; charged in 2022 of sexually assaulting a woman he met on an LDS dating app called Mutual; in 2024, admitted to sexually assaulting three women and pleaded guilty to amended first-degree felony charges of rape and forcible sodomy, and third-degree felony aggravated sexual assault and two counts of third-degree felony forcible sexual abuse
    • Patrick Fox was a Mormon church member in Saratoga Springs, Utah; found guilty of a sex crime; registered sex offender in Utah
    • Cory Gaylor was an school teacher and LDS deacons quorum adviser in Idaho; arrested and charged with lewd conduct and enticing a child via the Internet; in July 2023, pleaded guilty; sentenced in September 2023 to 60 years in prison, with 13 years fixed before being eligible for parole
    • Martin Gilmour was a Mormon church member in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland; accused of sexual abuse of a 13-year-old child; was arrested in November 2024
    • Ryan Hall was a former Mormon bishopric member and veteran sheriff's department detective in Maryland; in 2024, arrested and charged with several sex crimes related to child sexual abuse
    • Jake Hally was an LDS church member in Idaho Falls, Idaho; accused of sexual abuse
    • Ned Hansen was a fire chief/EMS in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; retired, then became Tremonton, Utah fire chief; arrested in Jan. 2025, charged with child sexual exploitation; accused of discussing ways to sexually abuse children with Box Elder County judge Kevin Christensen (a Mormon)
    • Russell Harbin 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
    • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
    • James Haskell was a former Mormon bishop and practicing attorney in Vacaville, California; charged with 14 felonies and three misdemeanors for allegedly sexually abusing four children; was an LDS stake high council member when charged; pleaded not guilty; in June 2024, found not guilty in a jury trial of 16 of 17 counts; jurors deadlocked on one count of felony injury upon a child
    • Collin Hawkins was a Mormon church member and adjunct Russian professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho; was a Mormon missionary in St. Petersburg, Russia from 2015 to 2017; arrested in 2025 on suspicion of 20 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; the charges were related to CSAM (child sexual abuse material)
    • Elwood Haws was an employee and vice president of an LDS church-owned trust company in Utah; charged in 2020 with 13 second degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor (related to possession of child pornography); admitted that he viewed child pornography 3-4 times a week over a 3-4 year span; in 2021, pleaded guilty to three counts and was sentenced to 180 days in jail; in 2023, violated probation
    • Hayden Hunter was a Mormon missionary in California; he was from Pleasant Grove, Utah; arrested in 2020 for distribution of child sexual abuse material (child pornography) while on his mission; convicted of possession of CSAM in 2021
    • Jordan Jolley was an LDS church member in Syracuse, Utah; convicted of voyeurism in January 2024
    • Dennis Judd was an LDS church member and Uintah County, Utah attorney; charged with voyeurism and stalking in October 2023 after allegedly filming his female employees in his law firm's bathroom; in January 2024, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of stalking; plea held in abeyance; in June 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of voyeurism
    • Spencer Kartchner was an LDS church member in Utah; convicted of sex crimes in 2009 and 2021
    • Derek Lange was a Mormon church member and high school teacher and sports coach in Colorado City, Arizona; charged with attempted rape of a child, a first-degree felony; enticing a minor, a second-degree felony; and four counts of dealing in harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony
    • Michael Lister was an LDS church member in or near Cedar City, Utah and Bunkerville, Nevada; accused in Utah in 2023 of sexual abuse of two young girls; pleaded guilty to one count of sodomy on a child; sentenced in June 2023 to 25 years to life in prison
    • Carlo Lorge was an LDS church member in Clarksville, Tennessee; arrested in 2022 for sexual exploitation of a minor
    • Isaac Mardis was a Mormon church member in Idaho Falls, Idaho; charged with Lewd Conduct with Child Under 16 in April 2024; was also accused in 2022 by the same victim
    • Mikel Massey was an LDS church member in Lufkin, Texas; accused of child sexual abuse; police investigated, but no charges were filed
    • David Matlock was a Mormon church member; arrested and convicted in 2022 of open and gross lewdness
    • Calvin McGee was an LDS missionary in Virginia in 2022; accused of soliciting sexually explicit pictures and video from a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl, and inviting her to meet in person; arrested in Boise, Idaho in July 2023 and accused of rape of a minor; pleaded guilty to two charges related to child sexual abuse; sentenced in May 2024 to three to 25 years in prison
    • Church officials allegedly failed to report abuse
    • Bill McKay was an LDS church member and mayor of Kennewick, Washington; admitted in 2023 to police he paid for sexual services at multiple massage parlors in Kennewick; was not criminally charged
    • John McKown was an LDS church member in Arizona; charged in 2023 with child sexual exploitation
    • Allen Miller was a Mormon church member in Panguitch, Utah; accused of sexually abusing a Panguitch high school student and a sports staff member; was arrested March 27, 2025
    • David Millett was a Mormon church member in Utah; sentenced in 2022 to prison for first-degree felony sexual abuse
    • Shawn Mortensen was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency member in Albuquerque, New Mexico; in February 2021, admitted to police that he had sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in January 2021; convicted of child sexual abuse; sentenced in 2022 to prison in New Mexico
    • Erick Mosteller 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
    • Tevita Mounga was a former Mormon bishop and ward mission leader in Salt Lake City, Utah; arrested and charged in May 2024 with sexual assault and kidnapping
    • Jesse Murff was an LDS church member and attorney in Utah; arrested in May 2020 on 26 counts related to alleged sexual abuse; died in June 2020 at a hospital several days after he apparently attempted suicide in his cell
    • James Neumeyer was a Mormon church member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse; died in 2024
    • Jeffery Niemi was a Mormon church member in Duluth, Minnesota; convicted in 2016 and again in 2025 of felonies related to child sexual exploitation; sentenced in 2025 to 30 years in prison
    • Church discipline: No action,
    • Zander Nunley was a police officer and former Mormon missionary in Salt Lake City, Utah; went on an LDS mission to Nicaragua in 2018 to 2019; accused in December 2024 of sexual assault of a woman who said he met her via an online dating app; she said he invited her to his home to watch a Christmas devotional broadcast by worldwide Mormon leaders; she said he removed his LDS temple garments to assault her
    • DeRon Olsen was a former Mormon bishop and stake presidency counselor in Spokane, Washington; in 2024, pleaded guilty to one felony count of child molestation and one felony count of child rape; sentenced to prison
    • Greg Orton was a Mormon church member in La Grande, Oregon; accused and arrested for alleged sexual abuse with a minor who was under 14 at the time of the alleged abuse
    • Scott Phister was a Mormon bishop and stake president in Wyoming; later moved to Utah and worked as a massage therapist; pleaded no contest in 2022 to two class A misdemeanor charges of sexual battery for touching a female massage client in a sexual manner
    • Mark Porter was a Mormon church member and former stake presidency member in Utah; accused of sexual abuse in 2022 after allegedly groping women in a Logan grocery store; pleaded guilty in December 2022
    • Church discipline: Excommunicated,
    • Ryan Pugh was a former Mormon missionary and BYU-Idaho student in Rexburg, Idaho; arrested and charged in 2024 with sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online
    • Noah Rada was a Mormon church member in Salt Lake City, Utah; accused of possession of child sexual abuse material in 2022; pleaded guilty; sentenced to three years in prison and 20 years probation
    • Bryce Ray was a Mormon church member and former bank officer in West Haven, Utah; arrested in July 2024 and charged with enticing a minor and sexual solicitation of a child
    • Jake Retzlaff was a starting quarterback for the Brigham Young University (BYU) football team; not a Mormon church member; accused of sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit filed in 2025; lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice June 30, 2025
    • Kenneth Richens was an LDS church member and chief information officer (CIO) of Central Valley Medical Center in Nephi, Utah; accused in 2023 of child sexual exploitation; pleaded guilty in February 2024 to two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; in April 2024, sentenced to two consecutive terms of one to 15 years in prison
    • Percy Rock was an LDS church member in Greencastle, Pennsylvania; accused of possessing CSAM; pleaded guilty in 2023
    • Philip Salt was an LDS church member in Perth, Western Australia; accused in April 2023 of 16 charges of sexual abuse against two teenage male victims he met as their LDS youth leader
    • Wade Schvaneveldt was an LDS church member and high school girl's basketball coach in or near Grace, Idaho; accused of raping a child numerous times over a period of several years, including at his home while his family was attending LDS church meetings; in April 2023, accepted a plea deal to two felony counts of rape; in June 2023, was sentenced to 8 to 18 years in prison
    • Robert Smith was a Mormon church member in Tooele, Utah; worked for the FBI; accused in 2022 of sexual abuse of several girls; as of April 2023, case is still underway in the Utah court system; in November 2023, charged with more sex crimes; Preliminary hearing date has been moved to June 30 2025 at 10 AM in third District Court, Tooele Utah
    • Paul Spencer was a Mormon church temple prep instructor and mission leader in Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah; charged in December 2024 with multiple felonies related to arranging to meet a police detective posing as a 13-year-old girl for sexual assault in Lehi, Utah
    • Thomas Stanger was an LDS church member in Helena, Montana; arrested four times for indecent exposure; accused of watching pornographic material while masturbating looking at women nearby
    • Phillip Stokes was a Mormon church member in Utah; composed music for multiple videos posted to official LDS church websites and social media accounts; in 2022, sentenced in Utah to two terms of 25 years to life in prison for rape of a child and sodomy on a child, first-degree felonies
    • Andrew Stringer was a Mormon church member in Pflugerville, Texas; assigned by the Mormon church to a mission in Argentina, then to a service mission in Texas; arrested in 2023 and charged with possession of child pornography
    • Kevin Sykes 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
    • Keaton Tanner 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
    • Glendon Templeton was a Mormon bishop, Sunday school teacher and scout leader in Arizona; was bishop of the Maryvale Ward in West Phoenix from 2014 to 2019; excommunicated in 2019; also was a volleyball coach for high school-aged girls; accused numerous times and arrested, but never prosecuted for alleged sex crimes; sued in 1997 for alleged sexual abuse; allegedly sexually assaulted multiple teenage girls
    • Church discipline: Excommunicated,
    • Jared Tichy was an LDS church member and elementary school teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah; in April 2023, charged with child sexual abuse; several other victims came forward in April 2023
    • Devin Tuttle was a Mormon church member in Draper, Utah; convicted of UNLAWFUL SEXUAL CONDUCT WITH A 16 OR 17 YEAR OLD/CLASS A MISDEMEANOR
    • Daniel Waddington was an LDS church member and retired police officer in American Fork, Utah; arrested in August 2023 and charged with 11 felony counts related to child sexual exploitation
    • Thomas Weaver was a Mormon church member in Utah; arrested in 2023 and charged with felony child sexual abuse
    • David Webb was an LDS church member and oral surgeon in Vacaville, California; accused of sexual abuse of multiple patients in 2021 and again in 2022; gave up his license to practice in 2023; got a license to practice dentistry in Idaho; as of March 2024, a criminal case and several civil cases in California are ongoing
    • Roland Westrup was a Mormon church member and returned missionary (St. Louis, Missouri) in approximately 2018-2020; arrested in Salt Lake County, Utah in March 2023; charged with 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; admitted to possessing and sharing child pornography, and to having sexual fantasies for many years about having sex with male children as young as infants to teens
    • Kenneth Wilstead was an LDS church member in Garland, Texas; accused of sexual misconduct
    • Robert Wily was an Mormon church member in Utah; in 2004, pleaded guilty to four class A misdemeanor counts of sexual battery; arrested in 2020 for allegedly possessing several child exploitation images; convicted of one felony count in 2022; sentenced to 365 days in jail and 48 months probation