A former Utah city mayor and bishop with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is facing charges for allegedly sexually abusing at least three children decades ago.
Carl Johnson, 77, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of seven counts of sex abuse of a child.
Investigators say Johnson acknowledged abusing three victims in 1985, 1993 and 1996 and estimated there was a total of six victims -- some as young as 2-years-old, the Associated Press reported.
Some of the alleged abuse occurred during his time as mayor of West Bountiful, a city just outside of Salt Lake City, from 1990-1997, according to the AP.
Johnson has not yet been formally charged. Additional cases of abuse are currently being investigated.
"Johnson admitted he has a problem of controlling his sexual urges and has struggled with this problem most of his life," a detective wrote in a police affidavit obtained by KUTV.
The victims were allegedly told not to tell anyone else about what happened to them.
"In some cases, these crimes were suppressed in one way or another by Johnson when any disclosures were made. Johnson used his position of trust to influence any disclosures," the affidavit says.
In addition to being a former mayor, Johnson has held numerous positions of trust throughout his life, including as a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, KSL News reported.
Sam Penrod, spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told the AP that the allegations are "serious and deeply troubling."
"Those who engage in abusive behavior are rightfully subject to prosecution by legal authorities and also face loss of church membership," Penrod said.
Related
Related
