Utah man charged with abusing teen in 2006 as her bishop

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

WEST JORDAN, Utah (KSL.com) — Criminal charges were filed Monday against a southern Utah man accused of abusing a teenage girl nearly 20 years ago when investigators say he was the girl’s bishop.

Mark Lehnhof Stevens, 68, of Washington, Washington County, is charged in 3rd District Court with forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony, and two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.

Stevens is accused of sexually assaulting a girl between 2006 and 2007 when she was 16. The case was investigated by West Jordan police.

Prosecutors say Stevens would meet with the girl as her bishop “to discuss her leadership role within the church.”

“Stevens told (the teen) that as part of her marriage covenant, she would be expected to keep her husband sexually satisfied and if her husband had issues with sexual sin or pornography, God would hold her accountable for failing her duties as a wife,” the charging documents allege. “Stevens told (her) that he wanted to meet with her weekly to teach her.”

Stevens is accused of inappropriately touching the girl during those meetings, according to the charges.

Prosecutors have requested that Stevens be held without the possibility of posting bail once he is taken into custody.

“Churches are sacred spaces in our community. Children need to be protected, and it is incumbent on all of us to safeguard these spaces for our children,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement Monday. “I want to thank this brave victim-survivor for coming forward and reporting this alleged abuse. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, I encourage you to report it to law enforcement.”