Mormon Abuse Spotlight-Mark Edward Morgan

Mark Edward Morgan’s history is documented in “Case Reports of the Mormon Church Alliance,” (“Case Reports”) published in 1995.  We review it here as part of our series on the problem of child sexual abuse in the LDS (Mormon) Church.  Of course, we make no representations concerning the accuracy of all of the facts alleged below; but, if true, this story is instructive in understanding more about child abuse in the Mormon Church.

According to the Case Report on Morgan, he was arrested and convicted of indecent behavior with children in Thailand in 1991.  After receiving a “Royal Pardon” in 1992 he left prison but was ordered out of the country.

According to Deseret News, in 1994 Morgan “was charged in 4th Circuit Court with one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony.Orem police investigators allege that Morgan fondled a boy who helped him set up greeting card displays in stores. Morgan was working for Morgan’s mother’s greeting card company and the boy traveled with him to various retail outlets.”

In 1995, the same media outlet reported that a judge bound him over for trial after hearing a few minutes of the victim’s testimony.  According to Deseret News, “Mark E. Morgan, 37, was bound over Monday by 4th Circuit Judge Joseph I. Dimick on a first-degree felony after only a few minutes of testimony.The alleged victim testifed that he was helping Morgan in his greeting card business to set up displays in stores around Utah. The boy said he went with Morgan on three separate weekends. On one of those trips the boy said Morgan told him he needed to dress more appropriately for the job and offered to buy the boy a new set of clothing. Morgan took the boy to a department store and sent the boy into a dressing room with some clothing. A few minutes later Morgan came into the room and helped the boy take off his clothing, the boy testified. The boy said that after he was naked Morgan looked at his “private parts” for a few seconds and then touched him for a few seconds. “He said, `You don’t have to worry because we are both boys,’ ” the boy testified.