Statute of Limitations Changes Encourage Alleged Sexual Abuse Victims to Come Forward

KUTV
January 24, 2014

http://www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_9304.shtml

[with video]

[the lawsuit via Fox 13]

(KUTV) Two Utah men have filed suit against the LDS church claiming they were abused by one of their leaders.

The alleged sexual abuse happened decades ago on LDS property in Hawaii where young LDS boys were recruited to pick pineapples. The victims now in their 40's are coming forward with a new statute of limitations in Hawaii that allows them to file suit against their alleged abuser.

Until this recent change the men were left with no way to file because so many years had gone by Jacob Hubbard of Utah County says he was just 15 at the time of the sex abuse. He says, "I kept it to myself and it happened over and over again. I knew it was horrible, but I was so embarrassed about it I felt like I couldn't tell anybody."

Hubbard was suffering alone, but was not the only one. Kyle Spray was 16 at the time when he says he was abused. He is now 42 and worries there are a lot more out there. As teens they left their families for an exciting adventure in Hawaii. Their destination was a pineapple farm run by the LDS church. It was a place where young men could earn money and work towards serving LDS missions. It was billed as a great spiritual environment safe for LDS young men. Looking back Spray says, "It was Hawaii who didn't want to go to Hawaii? We're talking playing on the beach and having a good time." But, what they say happened from 1986-1988 was anything but.

A Civil lawsuit was filed January 22nd against Brian R. Picket of Idaho falls, the LDS church, Maui Land and Pineapple, and Youth Development Enterprises. The men are seeking justice for alleged sexual abuse that happened during their time at this LDS work camp.

Hubbard says the abuse started the minute he got there. As he looks back he realizes he was being groomed. According to the suit Brian R. Picket in his 20's at the time had unfettered access to the boys on the ranch. He was the boss on the farm, a youth counselor and their ecclesiastical leader. The alleged abuse they say happened at the barracks. Hubbard looks back saying, "he (Picket) would take me apart from the group and tell me how important and special I was and better than everybody else, really did a lot to build me up," It is painful to see that someone he trusted was only building him up to tear him down.

Looking back both men feel like it was somehow their fault. Spray says he "pushed it down, forgot all about it, pretended nothing happened." This is the case in most cases of abuse. 15 years went by before Spray was eaten away by the stress and worry, he decided he would confide in his best friend Jake Hubbard, "unbelievably it happened to him as well." After talking about the experience the men say they were able to start dealing with the pain. Both say relationships have been strained, they have lost the ability to trust and have put undue strains on their children because they have wanted to protect them from what they say they have gone through.

Hubbard blamed himself for years but says "it wasn't until I had kids the same age of when it happened to me, that I realized if anything happened to them, how anybody could blame the child?" He knew finally it was not his fault.

Both men want their perpetrator to pay and if he's still victimizing boys to stop. They also want the LDS church to take a look at their practices saying, "They need to change their approach, they need to make sure kids come first."

The LDS church released a statement saying it "has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and works actively to prevent abuse.... the church will examine the allegations and respond appropriately."

We should note that the men have talked to their bishops since this has happened as adults and they say nothing was ever reported to authorities that they know of. The suit alleges the church encourages their Bishops to call a hotline inside the church offices as opposed to immediately calling police.

Criminal charges can no longer be filed for this case because of the statute of limitations.

Anyone who believes they too are victims can call Craig Vernon the attorney on this case at 208-667-0683 or e-mail cvernon@jvwlaw.net. At last update two more men have come forward who have stated they were abused by this same man in the 1990's.

By Heidi Hatch