Heart-rending to look at the valiant officer in the picture and then to know her history.  This is story #370 on ProtectLDSChildren.org.

This is not my story. This is my sister’s story. But she is not here to tell it. My younger sister LeeAnn became a “special project” of her Bishop _____ in Florida. She was neither his first nor his last victim. Bishop _____ convinced my blindly obedient mother that LeeAnn needed to come live with him for special care. He started raping her several months shy of her 15th birthday. The abuse continued. My sister begged my mother to be allowed to come back home but my mother refused saying that Bishop  was____ a man of god. Her fellow mormon congregants in Florida knew what was happening but blamed my sister rather than the bishop. LeeAnn was finally able to break free when she went away for college. But as you can imagine, the damage was severe and deep. She was unable to have children of her own.

She became a police officer in an attempt to protect others from the evil she had endured. When I learned of this whole thing later (I was older and lived in Colorado at the time), I was racked with guilt, though my sister assured me that there was nothing I could have done. She said that the only thing that she wanted was for our mother to apologize to her for forcing her to live with a pedophile rapist. That apology never came.

On December 25th 2015, LeeAnn took her life. My mother actually attended a Mormon church in my sister’s neighborhood on the date of the memorial service. When my other sister asked my mother why she did not protect LeeAnn, my mother stated to this sister that she thought about turning the rapist in but then felt too guilty because he was called of god.

PLEASE do whatever you can to protect the vulnerable from the predators.

LeeAnn the Good Samaritan

In February 2015, this article was published by AzCentral, Glendale Police Office Helped Family Get Off the Street.  Ten months later, LeeAnn took her own life.

The raw and gaping wounds of our friends, who once were children, are now out in the open for all to read and to see.

On March 30, 2018, I and 1,000 others will honor LeeAnn’s memory by delivering her story to the headquarter steps of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   What happened to her at the hands of her bishop will not be forgotten.  What has happened to thousands of other Mormon children behind-closed-doors will no longer be swept under the rug.

Glimpses into LeeAnn’s life

For those who are wondering what a 14 year old looks like. This is a picture of LeeAnn visiting her sister.

LeeAnn and and her niece.

A beautiful synagogue in Park City has a brick walkway.  This is the brick that her sister  installed to honor a precious person no longer in our midst.

Join Our Historic March-For-The-Children

If you are in Utah, within driving distance, or even flying distance, come help us assure that the children of the future don’t repeat the dreadful experiences of children in our past.

On March 30, 2018 we will gather at the Salt Lake City/County Building.  Then march 5 blocks to the LDS Church Office Building.  Upon arrival, we will present 2 items to church officials:

• The signatories on the Petition to Protect The Children–Stop Sexually Explicit Interviews of Mormon Youth
• Sacred Stories of Sacred Children.  A record of childhoods destroyed behind closed doors.

Register here so we can get an accurate count ahead of time.  Our goal is 1,000 marchers.

How can you help protect our children:

• Share the march info everywhere.
• Bring your friends & family.
• Encourage friends & family in Utah and surrounding states to join us.

We are making Mormon history.  Come make it with us.  It will be a once in a lifetime event.

Local Rallies

Many friends of Protect-The-Children who want to come to the march are constrained by time, distance, or money.

Good News!!!  We are organizing local rallies in offsite locations to coincide with the Utah march.  Same date, same time…different place.  Imagine 20 people in Seattle, 30 in Dallas, 25 in St. Louis and so on and so on and so on!

Every place we have a gathering, local media will be invited to cover.  We are expecting the national media to be at the SLC event.  The local rallies will illustrate in a big way that our cause is a country-wide movement and deserves national attention.

This will be a big step in bringing awareness to good Mormon parents and bishops everywhere.  So far, our efforts have reached some.  The march will extend our reach many times over.

If you are interested in participating in a local rally, please register here.  A volunteer coordinator will reach out to you soon.

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