KUTV Channel 2 News
Salt Lake City, Utah
Written by: Doug G. Ware

Email: dware@kutv2.com

SALT LAKE CITY -  Several men have filed a $25 million lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, claiming that they were sexually abused by a Sunday school teacher more than 20-years ago – and the church did nothing about it.

The suit is brought by six men in the Portland, Ore. Area who say the incidents of abuse happened between 1980 and 1985 – when they were adolescents.  The accused is Timur Dykes, 51, who at the time taught Sunday school at a Portland ward, was an LDS home teacher and local Boy Scout leader.

(more…)

Reuters

Wed Oct 3, 2007 8:24pm EDT

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A lawsuit filed against the Mormon Church and the Boy Scouts of America expanded on Wednesday to include four more men charging the organizations with ignoring sex abuses committed decades ago by a man who served as a church teacher and a scout leader.

The six men, who filed a new lawsuit in Oregon state Circuit Court in Multnomah County, allege that Timur Dykes, a former spiritual leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and former scout leader, repeatedly abused them when they were boys.

Dykes, a convicted sex offender, is listed on Multnomah County’s registered sex offender Web page. He is not named as a defendant in this suit.

"Both the Mormon Church and Boy Scouts were well aware by at least the 1960s that they had a serious, institution-wide infestation of child abuse, stretching across the country," said the plaintiffs’ attorney Kelly Clark. "They did not clear it up."

The original two plaintiffs, two brothers in their early 30s, dropped the original lawsuit and refiled the case to add four more plaintiffs. The men filed the lawsuit under the names "Jack Doe."

The lawsuit asks for $25 million in damages.

Dykes was allowed to continue in positions of trust and continue to abuse boys for four or five years after he was first arrested or investigated as early as 1981, said Clark.

"We work very, very hard to protect children in the Boy Scouts," said Gregg Shields, national spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, who declined to comment on the suit.

Portland attorney Stephen English, representing the Mormon Church, said the church is thoroughly investigating what happened. He also said Dykes was never a member of the Mormon clergy and has been excommunicated.

$25 million - The six allege a former troop leader and church teacher abused them

Thursday, October 04, 2007

PETER ZUCKERMAN

The Oregonian Staff

Six Portland men sued the Mormon church and the Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday, seeking more than $25 million for alleged sexual abuse by a church teacher and Scout leader more than 20 years ago.

The lawsuit contends that Timur Van Dykes, 51, molested Boy Scouts in Troop 719, which was supervised by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The lawsuit includes two brothers who dropped a previous complaint. It does not name Dykes as a defendant.

(more…)

KOIN 6 News

October 3, 2007

PORTLAND - Four more men filed suit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ("LDS" or "Mormon" Church) alleging child abuse at the hands of Timur Dykes.

Dykes was a Sunday School teacher, an elder in the Church and a Boy Scout Leader. Dykes was first convicted for childhood sexual abuse in the 1980s and has since been convicted several times for child abuse.

In February, two brothers files suit against the Mormon Church, claiming that the Church knew for several years about Dykes’ history.

The previous suit named the Boy Scouts of American and the Cascade Pacific Counsel of the Boys Scouts as well as the Mormon Church as defendants. The new suit, filed Wednesday, names both institutions as defendants.

From dailymotion.com

Home teacher has denied allegations of 1980s incidents

By, Associated Press from Deseretnews.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — A $45 million sex-abuse lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be mediated by a judge in an effort to reach a settlement instead of going to trial, attorneys said Thursday.

(more…)

Order to release financial data has LDS Church, courts on collision course
By Peggy Fletcher Stack (AP)

Oregon justices rule in ‘home teacher’ sex abuse suit

An Oregon Supreme Court ruling ordering the LDS Church to release detailed financial information to an alleged abuse victim could have wide-ranging implications for the church, which has not disclosed its assets publicly since 1959.

The plaintiff in the Oregon case, who alleges repeated sexual abuse by his LDS "home teacher," argues that knowing the church’s net worth is necessary to help a jury decide if $45 million in punitive damages is reasonable. The church counters revealing such information would violate its religious rights.

(more…)

Salt Lake Tribune
July 12, 2007

Court says LDS Church must release long-veiled financial information
AP

Portland, Oregon
The Oregon Supreme Court rejected an effort by the Mormon church to withhold financial information from the lawyers for a man who claims a "home teacher" frequently molested him about 20 years ago.

Despite the legal defeat, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not immediately release the detailed financial information about its net worth, The Oregonian newspaper reported.

Kelly Clark, an attorney for the Oregon man suing the church, said it would be good for a jury to have the information before considering his request for $45 million in punitive damages. A trial is scheduled for Aug. 6.
(more…)

Supreme Court - The LDS church loses a round in a fight to keep its finances secret on religious grounds

Thursday, July 12, 2007

ASHBEL S. GREEN

The Oregonian Staff

Oregon’s top court has rejected the Mormon church’s bid to shield detailed financial information about its net worth -- a closely held secret for nearly half a century.

Despite the legal defeat, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not immediately release the financial information to lawyers for a Portland-area man who claims he was molested by a church "home teacher" in the late 1980s.

"The church is considering its position," said Stephen F. English, the LDS church’s lead Portland attorney. "The church respects the rule of law but has profound constitutional concerns based on its constitutional right to protect the free expression of its religion."

(more…)

2 men sue Mormons, Scouts over abuse

$6.5 million - The brothers claim a Scout and church leader molested them from 1983 to 1985

The Oregonian/January 23, 2007
By Peter Zuckerman

Two brothers filed a $6.5 million lawsuit Monday against the Mormon church and the Boy Scouts of America for alleged sexual abuse in the 1980s by a Portland church teacher and Scout leader.

The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, contends that Timur Van Dykes, 50, of Portland used positions of trust to molest the boys, who were not identified, in the years 1983 to 1985. During those years Dykes served as a leader of Boy Scout Troop 719, which was supervised by the Cherry Park Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (more…)