MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — Four people are suing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) for its alleged negligence in allowing a convicted child rapist to have access to children at a church in Washington.
According to the suit, officials at Mountlake Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knowingly “gave a convicted child rapist a position of authority in the Church and facilitated his regular interaction with vulnerable children.”
The suit alleges that high priest David Herget, who was convicted of raping a 13-year-old, groomed and sexually abused at least four boys in the church, despite church officials knowing of his history.
In 1993, the priest pleaded guilty to raping the teen and was convicted. Despite being sentenced to seven years in prison, Herget served 180 days in prison and registered as a sex offender.
During this time, he was excommunicated from the church, the suit said.
By 2001, he was released from state supervision, and the following year, he was re-baptized and allowed back into the LDS church.
“They gave a convicted child rapist a position of authority in the Church and facilitated his regular interaction with vulnerable children. They allowed him to hand out candy to kids during Sunday services. They encouraged him to dress up as Santa Claus at Christmas and have kids sit in his lap. They knew he was paying young boys from the Ward to do chores at his home—and did nothing to warn those boys about how dangerous this was. They exerted influence on Church members, including parents of young kids, to disregard this dangerous predator’s past and treat him as if his horrible crimes never happened," the suit states in the first paragraph.
According to the suit, between 2001 and 2005, Herget sexually assaulted young boys from the church either at his home or on church property.
On July 1, 2005, Herget was arrested on suspicion of 18 criminal charges, including six counts of child rape, six counts of child molestation, three counts of sexual exploitation of minors, and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
On July 2, 2025, while incarcerated at the Snohomish County Jail, Herget died by suicide.
This suit comes less than a month after two other families sued the LDS for a similar claim.
It should be noted that this most recent claim against the LDS Church stems from alleged abuse at Mountlake Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The earlier suit was unrelated, regarding a church in Seattle.
“Defendants each knew or had reason to know, or were otherwise on notice, of the misconduct alleged herein, which created the risk of childhood sexual assault by a volunteer, representative, or agent, and failed to take reasonable steps or to implement reasonable safeguards to avoid acts of childhood sexual assault,” the latest suit said.
It’s unclear how much the four are seeking in damages.
The LDS Church has not responded to KIRO 7’s request for comment.
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