Four People Sue LDS Church in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, Alleging Negligence in Abuse Case

Four people have filed a lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, alleging negligence in allowing a convicted sex offender to have access to children at a church in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. According to HeraldNet, the complaint was filed Monday in King County Superior Court. KIRO 7 reported that the suit centers on David Herget, a convicted child rapist, and alleges that the church failed to prevent him from reaching children.

The complaint alleges that Herget was a high priest in the Mountlake Ward when he was convicted in 1993. HeraldNet reports that he was convicted of sexually assaulting his 13-year-old daughter. KIRO 7 describes the conviction as the rape of a 13-year-old and says he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but served 180 days. The complaint further alleges that church members advocated for his early release and wrote letters urging leniency. A ward, HeraldNet notes, is a geographically defined congregation presided over by a bishop.

The reports differ on when and how Herget returned to church life. KIRO 7 reports that he was released from state supervision by 2001 and was re-baptized and allowed back into the church in 2002. HeraldNet reports that, in 2001, he was allegedly allowed to attend services and participate in the ward. Both reports describe the complaint’s claim that he was permitted to take part in the congregation’s life after his conviction.

The lawsuit alleges that between 2001 and 2005, Herget sexually assaulted young boys from the church, either at his home or on church property. KIRO 7 says the suit alleges he groomed and sexually abused at least four boys. HeraldNet reports that the four boys were assaulted in Mountlake Terrace, one of them as young as 5. These are allegations in the complaint and have not been proven in court.

KIRO 7 reports that on July 1, 2005, Herget was arrested on suspicion of 18 criminal charges, including six counts of child rape and six counts of child molestation. KIRO 7 further reports that on July 2, 2025, while he was incarcerated at the Snohomish County Jail, Herget died by suicide. The reports do not describe the outcome of the 2005 charges.

Neither report includes a response from the church to the lawsuit’s allegations.

KIRO 7 reports that the suit comes less than a month after two other families sued the LDS Church over a similar claim. That case involved a separate, unrelated church in Seattle.