Scottsdale Pastor Les Hughey Resigns from Highlands Church after Sex Abuse Allegations

By Bree Burkitt
The Republic
April 26, 2018

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale-breaking/2018/04/26/les-hughey-scottsdale-pastor-resigns-highlands-church-after-sex-abuse-allegations/552936002/

The Highlands Church on East Pinnacle Peak Road in North Scottsdale is nearing completition. Les Hughey, Senior Pastor, left and Mark Yule, Pastor of Adult Ministires are involved in the oversight of the project.

A Scottsdale pastor accused of sexually abusing multiple teenage girls while working at churches in both California and Arizona resigned Wednesday, according to Highlands Community Church officials.

Les Hughey, who is the founder of north Scottsdale church, has been on a leave of absence since Sunday after four women told The Modesto Bee he had victimized them while he was working as a youth pastor at a Modesto, Calif., church in the 1970s.

Two more women later came forward and told The Arizona Republic Hughey sexually assaulted them when he served as youth pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In a written statement provided to The Republic Wednesday night, Brendan Anderson, associate pastor of worship and communication at Highlands, said Hughey's resignation was effective immediately.

The announcement came hours after a scheduled "church family meeting" Wednesday evening. Hughey's name, photograph and staff e-mail were removed from the staff page of Highland's website.

Investigation at Scottsdale church

Anderson said a third-party investigation will be conducted by Kimberlee Norris, founder of MinistrySafe. The Fort Worth, Texas organization that specializes in child sexual abuse prevention and education in religious settings.

Norris will identify any areas of concern and "provide guidance" if any evidence of wrongdoing at Highlands arises, the release continued.

“Pastor Hughey’s resignation does not end the responsibility of Highlands Church,” interim senior pastor Bob Wade said. “We are committed to providing counseling and spiritual care. Further, we recognize the critical importance of treating any allegation of abuse or misconduct seriously and its victims with compassion.”

Highlands officials previously said the church was not aware of the allegations until Hughey gave them a written statement after being contacted by The Bee. In the statement, Hughey admitted to having "sinned'' during his time at First Baptist Church in Modesto by having "consensual relations" with college-age staff. He was married and in his 20s at the time, one of the victims said.

Highlands Church (Photo: Ryan Santistevan/The Republic)

Victims come forward

The victim, Tracy Epler, came forward and said Hughey was removed from the Modesto church in 1978 after an explicit note was discovered. Church officials did not publicly cite a reason for the departure.

He later worked at Scottsdale Bible Church from 1985 to 1996 before going on to found Highlands in the late 1990s.

Additional victims came forward after seeing an initial article on azcentral.com Sunday.

In interviews with The Republic, two of the women described incidents where Hughey groped their genitals during a full body massage while he was the leader of the youth group at Scottsdale Bible Church. One of the women was only 16 at the time.

Neither of the women reported the incidents to police, they said.

The women said they believe there may be as many as four other women who were victimized by Hughey during his time at the church.

Both Scottsdale Bible Church and Highlands are urging anyone with any information to reach out.