A former president of a Mormon missionary training center has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1984 and several others.
The Utah-based church said this week that it would discipline Joseph Bishop if the claims turn out to be true, Yahoo reported.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement Tuesday that it is looking into ‘deeply disturbing’ allegations against the alleged perpetrator.
Former president, Joseph Bishop, of a Mormon missionary training center has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1984 and several others
A 55-year-old woman, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, said Bishop, who is now 85 years old, raped her in 1984 while she was training to be a missionary.
The church said in a statement ‘If the allegations of sexual assault are true, it would be a tragic betrayal of our standards and would result in action by the Church to formally discipline any member who was guilty of such behavior, especially someone in a position of trust.’
A few days before the church’s statement a conversation between Bishop and the woman was posted to MormonLeaks.
A 55-year-old woman, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, said Bishop, who is now 85 years old, raped her in 1984 while she was training to be a missionary
Last December she posed as a reporter and secretly recorded the interview with Bishop in Arizona
Last December she posed as a reporter and secretly recorded the interview with Bishop in Arizona, Fox 13 reported.
In the audio she begins by interviewing Bishop about leaders in the church.
The conversation then transitions to her discussing what she claims he did to her in the MTC. As well as discussing what happened to her, she also questions on him with regard to his interactions with other women.
The Mormon leader can be heard saying he doesn’t remember assaulting the woman and says that maybe it’s ‘because my mind doesn’t want me to remember that.’
Bishop did admit that he molested at least one woman and has been inappropriate with many other women. He said he gave one woman a back rub that got too ‘frisky.’
Bishop did admit that he molested at least one woman and has been inappropriate with many other women. He repeatedly apologized during the conversation
He said if all his sins were to be revealed he would be excommunicated and the Mormon Church would be embarrassed.
He repeatedly apologized in the recording and said that he has always struggled with a ‘sexual addiction.’
‘I am very, very sorry and I am so sorry. I don’t know if I can even be forgiven on your side,’ Bishop said in the recording.
He added ‘well I apologize, from the depths of my heart.’
In November the woman reported the assault to Brigham Young University police. Bishop denied the rape allegations but told detectives that he’d gone with the woman to a small ‘preparation room’ and while talking with her ‘asked her to show him her breasts, which she did.’
He repeatedly apologized in the recording and said that he has always struggled with a ‘sexual addiction’
Deputy attorney David Sturgill, from Utah County attorney’s office, said that he couldn’t pursue criminal charges against Bishop because the statute of limitations had expired four years after the alleged assault.
‘I have no reason to doubt the victim’s disclosure, and would have likely prosecuted Mr. Bishop, but for the expiration of the statute of limitations,’ Sturgill informed BYU police, according to the police report.
The church said in a statement they are ‘continuing its investigation of this individual’s claims and will act consistent with its long-standing policy of no tolerance for abuse.’
Bishop was the president at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo from 1983 to 1986.
An MTC trains thousands of young men and women before they are sent out as missionaries to countries across the world.