A lawsuit filed last week alleges several members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The lawsuit alleges that from top officials in Utah to former church members in Cochise County, there was a “concerted cover-up” of the sexual molestation of a young girl in the 1980s.
The Dec. 31 filing alleges several children in Cochise County who were members of the LDS church were sexually assaulted “for years” by a former church member. One of the victims was a nine-year-old girl, named in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, whose repeated rape and abuse was not reported to authorities by a local bishop who knew of the abuse in 1987, according to the lawsuit.
At this time, Arizona Daily Independent is not naming the alleged molester, former bishop, or others named in the lawsuit, as its claim of a criminal investigation from 33 years ago has not yet been confirmed. However, the defendants no longer live in Cochise County and public records show two former county employees referred to in the lawsuit died several years ago.
The man was purportedly indicted by a grand jury in 1988 on several counts of sexual misconduct with children, but never stood before a judge. Instead, the lawsuit alleges a “concerted effort” by his family and fellow church leaders -including a former Cochise County Attorney- helped him flee to Mexico within hours of the indictment.
Eventually the case was dismissed, possibly at the request of another church member who worked in the county attorney’s office. Eventually the man returned to Arizona.
A renewed criminal investigation was apparently undertaken by the Sierra Vista Police Department in 2013, but prosecution was not renewed. The lawsuit alleges the county attorney’s office reported that the statute of limitations had expired, an analysis Matthew Long, the attorney for Jane Doe, says is a matter of legal dispute.
The lawsuit also alleges the bishop failed to report the girl’s abuse out of loyalty to the Church. That protection of the institution over its members is something Long says demonstrates a long-running “cultural collusion” dating back decades.
Also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are two teenaged boys, referred to as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, who say they were the subject of “international kidnapping and perpetual rape” by a Mission President from 1991 to 1995. The lawsuit alleges the abuse was financed by the Church.
“Two young boys from an underprivileged background were unsure how to react to President P.E.’s predatory sexual advances,” the lawsuit states. “Eventually, President P.E. trafficked the boys, taking them with him on his trips between missions. The rapes would also occur frequently in hotels while they traveled together for church events.”
Several high-ranking church leaders observed “the improper and highly suspicious relationship,” according to the lawsuit. There is no indication that any of the abuse occurred in Cochise County or Arizona.
The Church is also accused of engaging in a cover up in 2018 of the alleged drug trafficking by another Mission President, although the complaint makes no mention of where the activity occurred.
“Plaintiff alleges that this drug trafficking scheme involved two separate instances of international trafficking, first from Mexico to the United States, and then from the United States to another foreign country,” the lawsuit states. “The Church took steps to protect this Mission President from criminal liability and cover up this international crime.”
Long and attorney Claudia Horan included a civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act claim on behalf of his clients, which requires notice to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
“Plaintiff alleges it is the diverse manners in which the Church acts to obtain the same means (facilitation of the crime, concealment of the crime) which makes it a criminal syndicate pursuant to RICO laws,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiff alleges the Church has a financial motive to cover-up the crimes of its leaders and members, as well as a motive to maintain their political and social influence.”
The lawsuit comes on the heels of two recent lawsuits against the LDS Church which garnered national attention, including one involving the Boy Scouts of America and one related to the years-long sexual abuse of several children in a Bisbee family that was being counseled by local church officials.
In 2019, the Arizona Legislature revised state law regarding how soon a victim of child sexual abuse must file a claim against their alleged abusers or against any person, business, or organization which “enabled” the abuse or failed to properly report the abuse.
Previously the law required such victims to sue before their 20th birthday, but the Arizona Child Victims Act changed the deadline to one’s 30th birthday, with the new deadline being retroactive. In addition, a one-time window was opened until Dec. 31, 2020 for victims now older than 30-years-old to pursue civil legal action no matter how long ago the abuse may have occurred.
