Mormon Church Leader Charged in Pennsylvania for Not Reporting Sexual Abuse Allegations

A Mormon church leader in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania has been charged with failing to report sexual abuse allegations against another church official, raising concerns about accountability within religious institutions.

Rhett Hintze, a stake president overseeing seven Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints locations, faces charges for not reporting allegations against Shawn Cory Gooden, an LDS official and Boy Scout leader accused of abusing at least two victims in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Gooden, a leader in the church’s Lebanon ward, was charged in separate cases in Virginia in 2022 and Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2023 with sexually assaulting a minor, according to ABC 27.

Pennsylvania State Police indicated another assault was alleged to have occurred at a state park. Gooden and the victim reportedly disclosed the sexual assault to Hintze as early as October 2020.

Under Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law, Hintze’s role as a stake president, which involves counseling other church officials, made him a mandated reporter, similar to social workers and school employees who are required to report suspected child abuse.

The law was expanded several years ago following the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. More categories of people were added as mandated reporters, and penalties were increased to ensure greater protection for children.

Under Pennsylvania law, failure to report or refer is a third-degree felony, which can result in a penalty of up to seven years in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of the legal consequences for such actions.

Source: Read the original report

Source record preserved at time of reporting.