Charges Dismissed against Utah Mormon Bishop Accused of Failing to Report Sexual Abuse

The Republic
May 11, 2012

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/744a8e50972c4dc084cfd35ba87f0dc2/UT--Mormon-Bishop-Charged-Dismissed/

A Utah judge dismissed all charges against a Mormon bishop accused of failing to report a teenage girl's disclosure that she had been sexually abused.

The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/LuKIuQ ) Gordon Moon, of Duchesne, was cleared Thursday on charges of felony witness tampering and misdemeanor failure to report abuse.

Authorities say a 16-year-old girl, who belonged to Moon's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, confided in him that she'd been sexually abused by a teenage relative. Prosecutors had argued that Moon advised her not to seek a protective order, and broke state law by failing to tell police about the girl's disclosure.

Duchesne County Attorney Stephen Foote requested the charges be dismissed after Moon testified that he should have handled the situation with the girl differently.