Ex-Mormon bishop pleads guilty to child sex abuse

Saturday, September 10, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A former Mormon bishop and co-founder of a nonprofit group that helps women and children in Third World villages faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced in November for sexually abusing children.

Lon Harvey Kennard, 69, from Heber City, Utah, pleaded guilty this week to three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Each count involves a different victim, and carries a sentence of 5 years to life.

The victims were among six children the man and his wife adopted from Ethiopia, where the couple helped establish an orphanage.

The couple’s nonprofit organization, Village of Hope, provided services to destitute communities in Mexico, Central America, Africa and the Caribbean.

Kennard was initially charged with 43 counts stemming from abuse that began in 1995, around the time the defendant was bishop of his LDS ward and one year after he and his wife started the nonprofit agency.

The remaining charges were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

In a statement, Kennard’s family said they understood the choice to negotiate a plea agreement, but were disappointed because the victims had hoped to face him at trial.

“It was with incalculable sadness that our family discovered the deviant actions and secret life of Lon Harvey Kennard in March 2010,” the family statement reads. “Losing our husband, father and grandfather this way has been devastating ... we remain hopeful that he will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We pray for this justice not only as small restitution for the crimes he has committed in the past, but particularly to protect other innocent girls from being victimized by him in the future.”

Court records indicate one of Kennard’s male relatives learned about the abuse last year then went searching through the defendant’s basement home office for evidence.

The relative discovered photos of women’s nude breasts hanging on the office walls, and accessed a hard drive that contained images of the abuse, according to court records.

One victim then called the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office and asked if an abuse case had ever been investigated.

She then opened up about the abuse, as did six other female victims, who told authorities they had been molested hundreds of times, some when they were as young as 10.

The abuse often began with nude “massages,” but also involved videotaping the victims in various stage of undress and having them perform sexual acts.

Fourth District Judge Derek Pullan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 2.

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eileen10 1 year, 1 month ago

what more can be done to protect children from child predators.seems to me if the laws were stiffer such as a first offense something is cut off and torture and death for both sexes that would help stop the assault dont you think.

wow 1 year, 1 month ago

Here's something that can be done to help combat this frightening crime. LIFT THE STATUTE OF LIMATATIONS REQUIREMENTTIONS. As it stands right now, a lot of these Sex Offender's/Preditors are getting over because there is a time limit on how long after the crime was committed, which detremines if the violator can be prosecuted. IMO all bonafide sex crimes are violent...just as violent as murder and since there is no limuitation on how long after the murder a person can be convicted. It should be the sasme for sex crimes.

Case and point. A high profile collegiate football coach has been acccused of sexually assaulting numerous victims. This person has a lawyer as should be the case...but the lawyer's defense isn't that the client didn't committ the crime...the lawyer's defense is...;THE CLIENT SHOULDN'T BE PROSECUTED BECASUE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON WHEN THESE ACT'S OCCURRED HAS EXPIRED AND THEREFORE THE CLIENT SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE. To me that's foul....especially since in this case many of the victims were kids when they were assaulted!!!!!

Doing away with the statute of limitation requirment would close this loopwhole.

asb 1 year, 1 month ago

It's an important part of the story, his position as Bishop and the implicit trust it brings, the degree of deception, the height of his pending fall; all are newsworthy and shoutable. You're digging here. And, you're not too long from condemning Mormonism as a cult rather than a Christian faith.

John 1 year, 1 month ago

Call it "condemning" if you like. Fact is, it is NOT a Christian faith. However, that has nothing to do with what Grace and others were referring.

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