Posted on 09/06/2002 8:16:19 PM PDT by Palladin
Friday, September 6, 2002
Ex-bishop accused of sex abuse of teen girl
By Brady Snyder Deseret News staff writer
A former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been charged with a sex crime involving a 13-year-old girl who attended his ward.
Spencer Dixon
Spencer Dixon, 38, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony. He was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on a $100,000 warrant Thursday morning without incident, said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Fred Louis.
Dixon posted bail and was released later in the day. Calls to his house seeking comment were not immediately returned today.
A first-degree felony is punishable by five years to life in prison.
The crime of which Dixon is accused would normally be a second-degree felony, but because Dixon was the religious leader of the alleged victim, the crime was elevated to a first-degree felony, Salt Lake County prosecutor Kent Morgan said.
"He's the bishop over the flock, and if you fleece your own flock, you're in trouble," Morgan said.
Dixon was bishop when the incident occurred Aug. 24. Court documents state that a 13-year-old girl was watching a group of younger children at an LDS ward house near 1300 South and 2400 East, when Dixon entered the room and asked her to come with him to retrieve some videos from the building's library.
Inside the library Dixon sexually abused the girl, court documents state. The victim "was finally able to get away" and told her parents about the incident the next day, court documents state. Other than the girl's testimony, Louis said there is no evidence linking Dixon to the crime. Still, Morgan said the case is strong because the girl reported the crime directly after it occurred.
"She made a prompt complaint," he said. Added Louis: "It was reported quickly. There was no hesitation on the victim's part." The LDS Church said Thursday that Dixon is maintaining his innocence.
"We understand that he denies the allegation," church spokesman Dale Bills said in a written statement.
Still, Dixon has been relieved of his duties pending further investigation, Bills said. If the allegations prove true, Dixon is subject to discipline, including excommunication, Bills said.
"We are saddened by any allegation that a child has been harmed by improper, abusive conduct," Bills said. "Children are one of the greatest gifts of God and should be lovingly nurtured and protected."
In the coming days or weeks, detectives will interview ward members to discover if there are other victims who had previously been fearful to come forward, Louis said.
"That's a real concern for us," he said.
From what I've gathered in searches, running is a mighty popular pasttime in Utah.
Hard to imagine they wouldn't be.
Simply because they were leaving on foot, I imagine.
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