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Image: A Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse proof of claim form, via Wikipedia.
New reporting by watchdog outlet Floodlit.org is shining a spotlight on what may be one of the most troubling cover-ups in the history of the LDS Church’s relationship with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Between 1963 and 1989, five Mormon men held a paid executive position in the BSA that served as a direct liaison to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These men were not only deeply embedded within both institutions but were also aware of the BSA’s confidential “perversion files,” internal records documenting sexual abuse allegations against scout leaders.
According to Floodlit, some of these LDS-BSA liaisons initiated contact with BSA headquarters to report abuse, while others received correspondence regarding known predators in LDS-affiliated scouting troops. Yet in a 2012 legal declaration made under oath, Paul Rytting, then the LDS Church’s Risk Management Director, claimed the Church only became aware of the “perversion files” in 1989.
This statement appears to be contradicted by the Church’s own embedded personnel. One of the liaisons, John Fanning — a former bishop and branch president — was later exposed and convicted for child molestation. In 1986, he admitted to sexually abusing children but was quietly allowed to resign and remain on payroll for another month. Just three years later, Fanning’s colleagues, all of whom were aware of the abuse and the files, stood alongside LDS President Ezra Taft Benson as he accepted the highest international scouting honor at General Conference.
These revelations come amid a larger reckoning over sexual abuse in the Mormon Church. According to Floodlit, more than 4,050 abuse reports tied to the LDS Church have been documented, with nearly $51 million in public settlements paid. At least 11 more cases resolved under sealed terms. As of mid-2025, there are 118 ongoing civil lawsuits and 74 criminal cases, involving 603 accused sex offenders and 70 convicted former bishops.
In 2024 alone, roughly 100 new lawsuits were filed in California by LDS sexual abuse survivors, many under lookback window laws that temporarily removed the statute of limitations for childhood abuse claims. Last month, the LDS Church agreed in principal to a settlement to resolve the California suits.
The central question raised by the Floodlit investigation is no longer just if the Church knew — but how many people knew, how early, and how much silence was strategic.
Survivors who were abused in LDS scouting programs or by church-affiliated individuals may still have legal options. To learn more about whether you or a loved one may be eligible to file a claim, visit our comprehensive guide on LDS Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuits. Justice may still be within reach.
