The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Is Alleged To Have Knowingly Appointed Convicted Pedophiles To Oversee Seventh-Day Adventist Groups

Entities responsible for the well-being and education of children are obligated to safeguard the young individuals in their care.

If your child has experienced abuse within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, you and your family might have the opportunity to receive resources and assistance.

In the realm of educational institutions, each Seventh-day Adventist school, academy, and boarding school is mandated to take every possible measure to shield children from abuse.

This same legal standard applies to Church congregations, where the significant responsibility lies with Pastors, Deacons, and employees to foster children's spiritual growth and ensure their physical and emotional well-being.

According to its website, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has more than 18 million members worldwide.

In the past two decades, at least 525 people have lodged claims alleging child sexual abuse in the church, according to a report last year from its risk management organization.

Two individuals who claim to have been subjected to molestation in the 1970s by a youth group leader in Oregon are seeking assistance and resources to aid in their recovery.

It is alleged that the church knowingly appointed a convicted pedophile, Leslie Bovee, to oversee a Seventh-day Adventist youth group in Veneta, Oregon, in 1972.

Despite being aware of Bovee's prior conviction for molesting three boys, there are accusations that church officials failed to remove him from the position in response to allegations of abuse.

What Happened at Miracle Meadows?

Another example is the now-defunct Miracle Meadows boarding school in rural West Virginia, with students claiming that they were beaten, raped, starved, held in solitary confinement, and denied food and medical care.

Allegations are that hundreds of students were subjected to “horrifying and unspeakable forms of sexual, physical, and psychological mistreatment” at the boarding school in the Appalachian community of Salem.

A Long History Of Sexual Abuse At Glendale Adventist Academy

The Southern California Conference and Glendale Adventist Academy are also alleged to have intentionally neglected and concealed sexual abuse incidents involving students.

The allegations outline that:

• Two teachers from Glendale Academy have been convicted of child sexual abuse over the past nine years, some of which occurred on campus;
• In 2005-2006, an adult male teacher sexually harassed multiple minor female students and
• In 1997-1998, another male teacher engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor student.

Brett Mohr, a convicted child molester and former Glendale Adventist Academy teacher, is currently serving a 30-year sentence in state prison.

Mohr was convicted in December 2021 on charges of lewd and lascivious conduct and continuous sexual abuse of a child.

We believe all victims who have experienced sexual abuse at a Seventh Day Adventist School by a staff member or employee should receive resources and assistance to support them and their families in the process of recovery.