10 LDS sex abuse cases found
1986
- Crime year: 1986
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- Michael Bolingbroke (1942 – ) was a Mormon bishop and stake seventy president in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California; accused of child sexual abuse in a 2022 lawsuit; died in 2024
Alleged crime: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 
Alleged crime state:
California,
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LDS positions: Bishop, Bishopric counselor, High priest, Other leader, Scout leader, Stake seventy, Sunday school, - Criminal case(s): Never charged, Not convicted,
- Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
Alleged church actions: Unknown church action, - View report »
Alleged crime state:
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- Ralph Burlingame (1947 – ) was an LDS church member in Minnesota; sentenced in 1989 to work release for six months, convicted of 2nd degree criminal sexual abuse of a child in 1989
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Minnesota,
Convicted:
1989, 
LDS positions: Unknown position, 
Criminal case(s): Convicted, work release, 
Alleged church actions: Excommunicated, Rebaptized, -
- Francis Cochran (1921 – 2005) was a Mormon high priest in the Seattle 6th Ward in Seattle, Washington in the 1980s; convicted twice in the 1980s of crimes related to sexual abuse of multiple children; allegedly assaulted multiple young girls on LDS property, including during church meetings; a 2025 lawsuit (Floodlit broke the story) said stake president Paul Diehl & multiple ward bishops covered up allegations against Cochran
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Washington,
Convicted:
1987, 1988, LDS positions: High priest, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, 
Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Excommunicated, Ward official accused of failure to report, Stake president and two LDS bishops allegedly covered up abuse allegations
"Despite numerous red flags, Defendants continued to give High Priest Cochran access to minor church members. Defendants allowed High Priest Cochran to continue to attend and volunteer at church events, including those attended by minors. Defendants also allowed High Priest Cochran to continue to transport young girls, including vulnerable refugee girls, to and from church events."
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- Dennis Empey (1957 – ) was a Mormon church member in Driggs, Idaho and scout leader in Provo, Utah; accused of sexually abusing many children between 1981 and 1990; a stake president and four Mormon bishops allegedly failed to report abuse for years; convicted in 1991 in Utah of child molestation; sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation; charged in 2025 in Idaho with sex crimes
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Idaho, Utah,
Convicted:
1991, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Jail, Ongoing, Probation, Registered sex offender, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result, Alleged failure to reportEmpey's alleged sex crimes span at least 44 years (1981 - 2025)
"This man has molested so many children that it involved four Bishops from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."
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- 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 reportAlleged church actions: Unknown church action, A 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."
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- Craig Hill (1972 – ) was an LDS church member in Ogden, Utah; convicted of sexual abuse in 1990;
- Convicted:
1990,
- LDS positions: Bishopric counselor, Youth leader,
- Criminal case(s): Convicted, guilty, pled guilty,
- Alleged failure to report
- Alleged church actions: Ward official accused of failure to report,
- View report »
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- 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 state:
California,
Convicted:
1987, LDS positions: Missionary, Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Prison, Registered sex offender, Released, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Unknown church action, Ward official accused of discouraging victim or others from reporting, Ward official accused of failure to report, Ward official accused of pressuring victim not to seek accountability, Ward official accused of saying victim was responsible, -
- Daniel Nelson (1954 – ) was a Mormon church member in Bountiful, Utah; pleaded guilty to lewdness & lewdness involving a child in 1989; pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse in 1993; pleaded guilty to failure to register as sex offender in 2004; victim was granted a protective order against Nelson in 2019, recorded court notes state sexual violence protective order
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
1989, 1993, LDS positions: Elders Quorum President, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Pleaded guilty, Alleged church actions: Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, No church discipline, nothing, Ward official accused of pressuring victim not to seek accountability, -
- Brian Peterson (1964 – ) was an LDS church member and scout leader in Orem, Utah; accused in 1988 of child sexual abuse; convicted and sentenced to prison in 1990
- Crime: 1980s,
- Crime state:
Utah,
Convicted:
1989, LDS positions: Scout leader, Criminal case(s): Convicted, No contest, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Prison, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Unknown church action, A Mormon scout leader knew of allegations against Peterson for at least 10 months before reporting him to law enforcement
"I've had little boys all over the state of Utah in conjunction with the Boy Scout program. Give me an 11-year-old boy for a week, and I'll make him a homosexual for life."
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- G S was a male Mormon church member in Little Rock, Arkansas in the Pinnacle Mountain Ward; convicted in 1993 of felony sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree; allegedly abused a victim from 1981 to 1993 (from age 4 to 15); in January 2026, the victim filed a lawsuit against the LDS church naming G.S. as the perpetrator and accusing church officials of multiple failures
- Crime: 1980s, 1990s,
- Crime state:
Arkansas,
Convicted:
1993, LDS positions: Unknown position, Criminal case(s): Convicted, Plea deal, Pleaded guilty, Civil case(s): Lawsuit v. LDS church, Ongoing, Alleged failure to reportAlleged church actions: Church officials accused of allowing interaction with children after notice of wrongdoing, Church officials accused of failure to warn ward members, Unknown church action, Ward official accused of saying victim was responsible, the alleged abuse lasted for nearly 12 years, beginning when the victim was 4 years old
"[Church officials] gave a convicted child rapist a position of authority in the Church [...] and allowed him to interact regularly with the children of the Pinnacle Mountain Ward."
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