Former Utah LDS bishop accused of drugging 2 teen boys, sexually abusing them

By Cimaron Neugebauer
KUTV
June 24, 2017

http://kutv.com/news/local/former-utah-lds-bishop-accused-of-drugging-2-teen-boys-and-sexually-abusing-them

Erik Wayne Hughes

(KUTV) A former LDS bishop in Utah County has been arrested after police say he gave two teen boys a pill and sexually abused them.

Erik Wayne Hughes, 51, of Mapleton was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail on Wednesday Apr. 21 for suspicion of forcible sexual abuse, dealing harmful materials to a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and tampering with a witness.

Hughes is no longer a bishop with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, police say.

A male victim who is now 18, reported to the Division of Child and Family Services that was sexually abused by his bishop when he was 15. He made the report on April 20 and police took over the case since the victim was now an adult.

The victim said Hughes was always interested in his personal growth and if he was going through puberty, according to a police report. Hughes would give the victim a white pill he thought was melatonin, since he takes that to help him sleep. However, after taking the pill, he felt weird and things seemed disproportionate, according to a probable cause arrest statement. When the victim told Hughes he felt weird, Hughes said he must have given the wrong one and stated it wouldn’t happen again.

On another occasion the victim was given a smoothie drink by Hughes, but when the victim tried to open the bottle, it came open easily and seemed like the seal was broken. He told police the smoothie tasted bitter, so he shook it up and drank the rest, according to the police report. He had the same reaction to the smoothie that he did when he took the white pill during the previous encounter.

The victim remembers having Hughes help him to his bedroom and into his bed. He said Hughes asked if he wanted him to take his sweatpants off. The victim said he was fine. The next thing he remembered, his pants were off and Hughes was touching the teenage boy’s groin area. When he woke up his underwear was off and Hughes was touching the teen’s penis.

Another time Hughes gave him another pill which caused the same reaction he had previously. The teen said Hughes made him touch himself and then touched his penis, according to police records.

A second male victim came forward to police on June 21. That victim is now 22 years old. He told police in 2012 when he was 17 years old he was sexually assaulted by Hughes, who was also his LDS bishop at the time, jail records state.

As a teen, Hughes groomed the boy when he was 16 by buying him expensive items and put money in the boy’s bank account after he worked for Hughes.

On multiple occasions, Hughes would touch and measure the teen boy’s penis, according to a police report. He said Hughes also gave Viagra to the teen.

When the boy was 17, Hughes touched the teen’s penis. The teen shared multiple pictures of his penis with Hughes and Hughes did the same.

On a separate occasion, Hughes asked the teen to stay with him while he was in Las Vegas on a business trip. While on the trip, Hughes gave him a pill that made him feel groggy. Hughes then performed oral sex on the teen, according to a police report.

Hughes contacted the victim within the last month and asked him to meet him at his office. Hughes told the victim he was being falsely accused of a crime, according to jail records. Hughes then directed the victim to keep silent about the things he had done. Hughes then asked the victim several questions about the sexual abuse and asked how he would respond if we were asked these questions by police. Hughes then typed the victim’s answers into his computer.