The LDS Church and Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Review: Part 1
In many known cases where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been sued in civil cases relating to sexual abuse, a perpetrator’s sexually abusive behavior-and the criminal record from that behavior-began in the perpetrator’s youth. Such was the case when Paydan Bussey, a church member, was charged in 2024 with child sexual abuse felonies in both Washington and Utah in 2024. Bussey’s parents Phil and Cathy were mission presidents for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Madrid, Spain. Paydan Bussey allegedly met with Bishop Thayne Lyman in 2015 for an interview preceding his ordination into the priesthood, despite the fact that he was a registered sex offender in two states: Washington and Utah.1
As part of the civil litigation resulting from multiple instances of sexual abuse committed by Paydan Bussey against a minor relative, the plaintiffs cited the President Russell M. Nelson Letter from August 21, 2021 as evidence the church conceals sexual abuse in order to keep “the Church from being inappropriately implicated in legal matters.”2
Paydan Bussey is a sexual predator with prior convictions for sexual abuse in his youth. He is not the only youthful sex offender the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been sued for protecting: Christopher Michael Jensen, who had previously sexually assaulted his school classmate in Provo, Utah while at school, was convicted of sexually abusing two minors in Berkeley County, West Virginia.3 As a sixteen year old, Jensen sexually abused two boys he was babysitting, resulting in his conviction on three felony counts.
The Church paid $32 million in settlements-and $27 million in legal fees-related to Jensen’s conduct; the similarities with Bussey do not end there, because like Bussey’s father, Jensen’s grandfather was a high ranking church official who had served in a variety of church callings, including mission president and regional leader. Blaine Parley Jensen and his wife were serving as director and administrative assistant for the entire Church-service missionary program in 2006 when their grandson faced the first of his criminal cases.4 From 2007 to 2011, his grandson raped at least 14 children, but was approved for a mission to Arizona in 2011 after being kicked out of his parents’ home for sexually assaulting his 12 year old sibling.
As was the case with Michael Jensen, the Church knew that Paydan Bussey was a sexual abuser as a teenager, yet it allowed Bussey to be ordained into the priesthood while also facilitating his access to children through callings.5 Other members were not warned of Bussey’s proclivities, or his past convictions and current charges. The Utah criminal case is nearly two years old, and Paydan Bussey has yet go to trial. He is facing child rape charges and federal charges related to the receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material in Washington in addition to the separate Utah charges.
His abuse was known as early as 2012, when Bussey was investigated-and eventually charged and convicted-for sexually abusing a victim at a swim meet.6 He received probation, and later molested his younger relative, who was left unsupervised with Paydan Bussey despite Paydan’s parents Philip and Cathy’s prior knowledge of Paydan’s prior conviction for sexual abuse. This abuse, against an unnamed plaintiff (H.B.), began in 2014 and continued through at least 2023, when the victim was eight years old. Some of the abuse occurred during a 2019 family trip to Madrid, where H.B.’s parents were the guests of Philip and Cathy Bussey, who were serving as Mission Presidents.7
In February 2024, Paydan Bussey was charged in Washington state for orally raping a six year old boy. Cause No. 24-1-00671-7 is still an active case, but On September 2024, Bussey became the subject of an investigation centering on his possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material from Kik, and online social media app. As suckthelollipopg, Paydan Bussey shared three files depicting the sexual abuse of children estimated to between 5 and 12 years of age. Bussey’s IP address was traced to a Comcast account associated with Phil Bussey, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a search on July, 2nd, 2024 at Bussey’s residence as part of an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation related to Bussey filming his abuse of a child in Provo, Utah.
As a result of the federal investigation, Paydan Bussey was charged in a third criminal case with two counts: Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. This would be the third active criminal case against Paydan Bussey, and at least the fourth overall criminal case against Bussey, and these cases are in addition to the civil case filed by H.B. and H.B.’s parents against their parents and Paydan Bussey as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Despite all of these facts, Paydan Bussey was not excommunicated or disfellowshipped from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, whose funds were allegedly used to purchase the tickets to Madrid that Phil and Cathy Bussey’s family members-including Paydan Bussey-used to travel to visit the Busseys in Madrid.8
In October 2025, the plaintiffs filed a motion to dismiss without prejudice, citing their son’s recent autism diagnosis and the family’s relocation across the country. Combined with the revelation that H.B.’s younger sister was also allegedly abused by Paydan Bussey, and the settlement of the lawsuit between the plaintiffs and Cathy and Philip Bussey, the parents of the minor victims also asserted the need of the “minor victims [to] be given time to fully develop and anchor their memories of this sexual abuse.”9
During his time in Utah after his original conviction, Paydan Bussey attended Wasatch Academy, the Mount Pleasant, Utah boarding school with tuition rates of $75,700 a year for 7 day boarding students, and $40,500 a year for day students.10 This is the same institution that alleged members of the LDS Church of Satan sent their children to during the Nineties and early 2000s, and it is the same institution that alleged CS member Alyssa Wolf still works at as the National Honor Society Advisor and as an English instructor.
Conclusion
It is clear that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has an ongoing issue with sexual abuse in its membership, specifically within prominent families whose priesthood holders serve in high ranking calling for the church. The Church knew of Paydan Bussey’s original criminal case because the resolution of that case delayed Philip Bussey’s ability to take up his church calling, according to the complaint filed by Bussey’s own son and daughter in law over his adoptive son Paydan’s abuse of H.B. and his sister. While the lawsuits between Phil and Cathy Bussey and H.B.’s parents were settled, it does not appear that the case between the Bussey family and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was settled.
If readers would like to access and read the various filings in the Paydan Bussey civil and criminal cases, they may do so at investigationsinritualabuse.com. If readers would like to access and read the exhibits filed by the plaintiffs’ attorney Heather M. Cover in her Motion in Opposition to the Church’s Motion to Dismiss, which contain reports and information from Paydan Bussey’s original criminal cases, they may do so here at investigationsinritualabuse.com. The documents are in PDF form and available for download.
1
Brandon Bussey and Heidi Bussey, individually and as guardians of minor, H.B. vs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints et. al, Case No. 2:25-cv-00197-TSZ (Western District of Washington 2025).
2
Id. at ¶58.
3
In 2004, Christopher Michael Jensen was arrested for sexually assaulting two of his female classmates at school. His grandfather Blaine Parley Jensen, a mission president and high ranking.church official with connections to church leaders, aided in his eventual plea deals to misdemeanor offenses. The psychologist who conduct Jensen’s assessment warned that he would reoffend.
4
Jensen was a member of the Pleasant View 5th Ward, in the Sharon East Stake, the same stake that figures prominently in various ritual abuse allegations connected to the David Lee Hamblin case.
5
Defendant Thayne Lyman’s Answer to Second Amended Complaint, H.B. v. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Case No. 2:25-cv-00197-TSZ (Western District of Washington) ¶40, in which Lyman admits that Cathy Bussey told him that Paydan Bussey had to register in Washington State as a sex offender. The issue with Lyman’s claims is that the JRA Commitment Dispositional Report to the Court details his knowledge of Paydan’s offenses while at Duthie Hill Ward, and his approval as a chaperone during Paydan’s 24/7 supervision phase.
6
U.S. v. Paydan Georgy Bussey, Case No. MJ25-293 (Western District of Washington 2025) ¶6.
7
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Answer to First Amended Complaint, Bussey et. al v. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint et. al, Case No. 2:25-cv-00197-TSZ (Western District of Washington 2025) ¶33: “The Church admits that Defendant Philip Bussey has served in the Church as an Area Seventy, Stake President, and Bishop.”
8
In its answer to the first amended complaint, the Church twice denies paying for the Plaintiffs and Paydon Bussey to visit Phil and Cathy Bussey in Madrid, Spain. See ¶¶9 and 46, as well as the Church’s denials that it owned the home in which the Busseys lived during their service as Mission Presidents in ¶¶8 and 45, the former of which contains the Church’s assertion that the home was owned “by a Spanish legal entity.”
9
Plaintiffs’ Motion for Voluntary Dismissal, Without Prejudice, Brandon Bussey and Heidi Bussey, individually and as guardians of minor, H.B. vs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints et. al, Case No. 2:25-cv-00197-TSZ (Western District of Washington 2025), pg. 2, lines 8-9.
10
Declaration of Cathy Bussey, Brandon Bussey and Heidi Bussey, individually and as guardians of minor, H.B. vs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints et. al, Case No. 2:25-cv-00197-TSZ (Western District of Washington 2025).