Three Abuse Cases, One Perpetrator

[MorningStar]

21 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Sounds similar to Jan Broberg Felt's kidnapper, Robert Berchtold, from the documentary Abducted in Plain Sight. He served in the Las Vegas temple for 7 years as an ordinance worker. I'm sorry but he's proven time and again that he's not able to repent and no longer cause harm, he shouldn't have been able to receive a temple recommend, IMO. Here's his glowing obit. 🤢 

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/al9shg/bob_berchtold_abducted_documentary_worked_as_an/ 

Robert Ersol Berchtold, age 69, died Friday, November 11, 2005, in Bunkerville, Nevada. He was born February 7, 1936, in Tremonton, Utah to Leonard N. and Lucille Grover Berchtold. When Bob was 3 yrs. Old his father passed away and in 1939 his mother married Joseph Ersol Berchtold who raised Bob and his older brother Don as his own. Bob attended schools in Thatcher and Eden, Utah, Star Valley, Wyo and graduated from Box Elder High School in Brigham City. He served an LDS mission in the Swiss Austrian Mission. He attended BYU, USU and Ricks College. He served in the US Army, stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On June 7, 1961, he married Gail Toyn in the Logan Temple and they had five children. They lived in Albuquerque, NM, Brigham City, Harper and Ogden, Utah. They were later divorced. On July 17, 1990, he married Xxxxxx at the Pine View Reservoir, Utah. They were later sealed in the Las Vegas Temple. They resided in Las Vegas until 1997 when they moved to Logandale, Nevada Bob was blessed with a beautiful singing voice and sang all over Box Elder and Weber County as a young boy. He continued singing throughout his life and brought enjoyment to many through his great talent. He had a great love for the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities in the Church. He loved the seven years he served as a temple ordinance worker in the Las Vegas Temple. He was a very successful salesman and business owner. He had an out-going and pleasant personality and made friends with all he met. Bob enjoyed camping, 4 - wheeling and anything that involved his family and friends. He and Xxxxx spent their summers in the mountains of Monte Cristo, Utah and loved their time there. Survivors include his wife, Xxxxxx, of Logandale; four sons and one daughter: xxxxxxx of Roy, UT; xxxxxx of Las Vegas, NV; xxxxxx of Henderson, NV; xxxxxx of Ogden, UT; xxxxxx of Farr West, UT; seven grandchildren; his mother, Xxxxxx of Brigham City, UT; two brothers and one sister: xxxxxx currently serving a mission in Australia; xxxxxx of Ogden, UT and xxxxxx of Brigham City, Utah. Funeral service will be held Thursday, November 17, 2005, at 11:30 a.m. at the Gilles Funeral Chapel, 634 East 200 South, Brigham City, Utah. Family will greet friends from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. prior to services at the mortuary. Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery, where military honors will be accorded by the Combined Veterans of Box Elder County. Funeral services were held in Logandale, Nevada on Tuesday, November 15, 2005.

 

I just watched that last night after a friend told me about it. Most bizarre situation ever and what a sicko! Parents had ridiculously weak boundaries. 

[MorningStar]

From the church handbook. I guess this is why we don’t tell pedophiles to get out and never come back. 

 

Continue to Minister

 The bishop or stake president’s role as a common judge does not end when a member has received membership restrictions or had his or her Church membership withdrawn. He continues to minister, as the person allows, so he or she may again enjoy the blessings of Church membership. The bishop regularly meets with the person and, when helpful and applicable, his or her spouse. The Savior taught the Nephites:
“Ye shall not cast him out of … your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them” (3 Nephi 18:32).
The time just after a person’s membership has been restricted or withdrawn is difficult and critical for his or her family. Leaders should be sensitive to these needs and encourage and assist family members.
The bishop ensures that caring members are assigned to minister to a person whose Church membership has been restricted or withdrawn, as the person allows. They also minister to other family members. Individuals under membership restrictions may benefit from participating in indexing (see 25.4.3).
If the person moves from the ward, the bishop informs the new bishop and explains what still needs to occur before Church membership restrictions can be removed. If the person’s membership was withdrawn from the Church or the person resigned membership, the bishop makes this same contact if the person has consented to be assisted by Church leaders.

[LoudmouthMormon]

I got a pedophile excommunicated.  Well, I mean, he got himself ex'd, but I initiated the process and followed it through to the end.   Dude's victim was an unbaptized girl living outside of the stake boundaries - I informally represented her in the process, an absolute win for her - one less group of people she had to deal with while going through her trauma.  Dude's bishop expressed amazement and shock when I sent him court transcripts and verdicts and dude's prisoner number - dude's family had given absolutely zero indication that anything at all had happened.  Dude's SP got back in touch with me after the excommunication. He confirmed that dude was ex'd, the church would never allow him around kids ever again in any official capacity, and I was free to share this with the girl or not according to whether I thought it would help her heal or not.  I shared with the girl's mom and let her decide.  

That was ~15 years ago. 

Dude did his 5 years, got out, and as far as I'm able to tell, is keeping his nose clean.  Released felons have it hard, but his family gave him a place to live and a job.  I hear he's married with a kid now.  I dread the high possibility of getting another phone call on the subject.  I mean, it would be the best possible solution if dude repented as much as he could and is faithful, and as active in church things as reasonable, right?  That would be best for his new kid, yes?  I mean, I don't think he's active at all.  But is the atonement what it claims to be, or isn't it?  How to best balance safety of the flock, with the spiritual needs of someone who has done about the most horrible thing a human can do?  I don't have the answers.

Victim's mom had a good head on her shoulders.  Girl got counseling and safety.  Girl had me and my wife, the only examples of mormons she had who weren't either her abuser or one of his family that defended him.  She healed, graduated, took all sorts of rockin' selfies as a college chick, and last I saw, had a job and a boyfriend.  I think maybe my most treasured earthly possession besides my wedding ring, is a thank you note we got from her as she was in college.  Oh- and she and her three sisters all got baptized in their teens.  I'd never been to a quadruple baptism where neither parent especially liked mormons all that much.  That news came from out in left field. 

[MorningStar]

3 hours ago, LoudmouthMormon said:

I got a pedophile excommunicated.  Well, I mean, he got himself ex'd, but I initiated the process and followed it through to the end.   Dude's victim was an unbaptized girl living outside of the stake boundaries - I informally represented her in the process, an absolute win for her - one less group of people she had to deal with while going through her trauma.  Dude's bishop expressed amazement and shock when I sent him court transcripts and verdicts and dude's prisoner number - dude's family had given absolutely zero indication that anything at all had happened.  Dude's SP got back in touch with me after the excommunication. He confirmed that dude was ex'd, the church would never allow him around kids ever again in any official capacity, and I was free to share this with the girl or not according to whether I thought it would help her heal or not.  I shared with the girl's mom and let her decide.  

That was ~15 years ago. 

Dude did his 5 years, got out, and as far as I'm able to tell, is keeping his nose clean.  Released felons have it hard, but his family gave him a place to live and a job.  I hear he's married with a kid now.  I dread the high possibility of getting another phone call on the subject.  I mean, it would be the best possible solution if dude repented as much as he could and is faithful, and as active in church things as reasonable, right?  That would be best for his new kid, yes?  I mean, I don't think he's active at all.  But is the atonement what it claims to be, or isn't it?  How to best balance safety of the flock, with the spiritual needs of someone who has done about the most horrible thing a human can do?  I don't have the answers.

Victim's mom had a good head on her shoulders.  Girl got counseling and safety.  Girl had me and my wife, the only examples of mormons she had who weren't either her abuser or one of his family that defended him.  She healed, graduated, took all sorts of rockin' selfies as a college chick, and last I saw, had a job and a boyfriend.  I think maybe my most treasured earthly possession besides my wedding ring, is a thank you note we got from her as she was in college.  Oh- and she and her three sisters all got baptized in their teens.  I'd never been to a quadruple baptism where neither parent especially liked mormons all that much.  That news came from out in left field. 

That’s awesome that you advocated for her. 

[MorningStar]

At his most recent arraignment on the 27th, the judge set bail for $200,000 and he's required to wear an ankle monitor. He's still in custody.