SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 3, 2025 (Gephardt) — A former bishop with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is facing sex charges nearly two decades after he allegedly called a 16-year-old girl into his office and abused her.
Charges have been filed against Mark Lehnhof Stevens, 68, of Washington City, who served as the girl’s bishop in Salt Lake County during 2006 and 2007, the time of the alleged incidents.
Stevens faces a warrant for his arrest on charges of:
- Forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
According to information shared by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Stevens called the girl into his church office, “to meet with him to discuss her leadership role within the church.
“The victim-survivor met the defendant in his office at the church. The defendant began asking the teen about sex and her personal sexual behavior. The defendant told (the juvenile) that she would be expected to keep her future husband sexually satisfied and if her husband had issues with sin, God would hold her accountable.
“The defendant then walked around the desk and proceeded to sexually assault (her). Following the assault, the defendant laughed and told (the juvenile) ‘you’re just so innocent, aren’t you?’ The defendant re-iterated that as her bishop, God had told him he needed to ‘teach her how to keep her husband satisfied.'”
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill shared a statement:
“Churches are sacred spaces in our community. Children need to be protected, and it is incumbent on all of us to safeguard these spaces for our children. I want to thank this brave victim-survivor for coming forward and reporting this alleged abuse. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, I encourage you to report it to law enforcement. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”
