Mormon Church Counselor Arrested for Alleged Sexual Abuse

Cesar Duran was booked into the Utah County jail in April for allegedly abusing a 13-year-old girl with whom he had a relationship of special trust, a first degree felony in Utah.

The Mormon counselor had been a first counselor in the bishopric of a Spanish-speaking ward of the Geneva Height Stake in Orem.  According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, “the girl and her family were helping clean the church when Duran asked the girl to help him clean a chalkboard in a classroom, according to an arrest document. He lifted the girl up to reach a high place on the chalkboard, and after he put her down, told her she was cute and asked for a hug. During the embrace, Duran allegedly made pelvic contact, according to the document.  She left the room for another classroom and kept cleaning. But while her back was turned, Duran grabbed her hips and again allegedly made pelvic contact, the document adds.  She ran from the room crying, found her aunt and told her what happened. She also told her aunt that she was scared of Duran, police said.”