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“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 (KJV)

Erik Hughes — Latter-day Saint ward, Mapleton, Utah

A ward bishop who pleaded guilty in 2017 to forcible sexual abuse and witness tampering. Included as a conviction — and, on the church's account, a contrast case: a spokesman said he was removed immediately and the church cooperated fully with police.

Latter-day Saints Pleaded guilty (2017)

Person
Erik Hughes
Role
Bishop; church employee
Institution
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — Mapleton, Utah ward
Location
Mapleton, Utah
Status
Pleaded guilty (August 2017)
Sentence
Concurrent 1–15-year terms plus a consecutive 0–5 years

Case in brief

Tier 1 · Court-proven

Erik Hughes was bishop of his Mapleton, Utah ward and a church employee. He abused two teenage boys from his congregation dozens of times, isolating them from their families, and was also charged with drugging and witness tampering. In August 2017 he pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible sexual abuse and witness tampering and was sentenced to concurrent 1-to-15-year terms plus a consecutive 0-to-5 years.

The institution

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This file is included as a conviction, not as a cover-up example: a church spokesman said Hughes was immediately removed when the allegations became known and that the church fully supported and cooperated with police. The archive records institutional behavior case by case — including when the documented response was the correct one.

The record

Tier 1 · Court-proven

Item Record
Charges Forcible sexual abuse (two teenage boys); drugging; witness tampering
Plea (August 2017) Guilty — two counts of forcible sexual abuse; witness tampering
Sentence Concurrent 1–15-year terms plus consecutive 0–5 years
Institutional response Removed immediately on the allegations becoming known; full cooperation with police, per church spokesman

Status

Plea and sentence of record (2017).

Records requested & responses

This archive has not filed records requests in this case. The file rests on the published sources below and will be updated if court or institutional records are obtained, or if that changes.

Sources

Filed October 18, 2026, from the published sources below. Minor victims are never named or identified in this file.

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