Lucifer's Lantern

  On July 30, 2026, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that two bishops of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not legally required to report a member’s admissions of child sexual abuse. [1] The ruling did not dispute that the bishops knew about the abuse. It did not dispute that no report was made. It also did not dispute that the abuse continued for years before law enforcement began investigating a video that the abuser had posted online. [1] [3] Instead, the court focused on a narrower legal question: Was it legally acceptable for the two bishops NOT to report the abuse? What the LDS Bishops Knew Around 2011, Paul Adams privately told Bishop John Herrod of the Bisbee Ward in Arizona that he had sexually abused one of his children. Herrod then arranged another meeting with Adams and his wife, Leizza, during which Adams repeated the disclosure. [1] [3] When Robert “Kim” Mauzy replaced Herrod as bishop in 2012, Herrod told him about the abuse. Mauzy convened a for...

Tim Ballard first became widely known through Operation Underground Railroad, the anti-trafficking organization he founded, and later through the portrayal of him in the movie, Sound of Freedom (affiliate link). Human trafficking and child exploitation are real crimes, and nothing about the questions surrounding Ballard's newer claims changes that. His work drew attention to a legitimate problem, even as his methods and conduct later became subjects of controversy. Ballard's recent claims belong to a separate and much more controversial chapter of his public life. They do not make human trafficking less real or automatically invalidate every operation associated with O.U.R. They need to be judged on their own evidence, especially now that Ballard is alleging satanic ritual abuse and a hidden network operating within Mormon circles. In public interviews released in 2025, Ballard began promoting allegations of satanic ritual abuse, or SRA, connected to Latter-day Saint circles. ...

Former BYU baseball player Candon Dahle is expected to marry this week, less than a year after receiving a plea deal that allowed him to avoid sex offender registration despite admitting guilt to two felony counts involving the abuse of a child. News of the wedding has reignited criticism online, where many argue Dahle's return to ordinary life has come far too quickly in light of the allegations against him.  The topic was recently discussed on Instagram by  @justinthenickofcrime View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin (@justinthenickofcrime) Dahle first made headlines in February 2025 when he was charged in Fremont County, Idaho, with felony lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16. According to the probable cause affidavit summarized by East Idaho News , prosecutors alleged Dahle sexually abused an 11-year-old girl and covered her mouth during one of the assaults. Authorities also filed a separate juvenile case in neighboring Bing...