SALT LAKE CITY (AP)-A former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mission leader under investigation by LDS Church officials over sexual assault allegations admitted asking the alleged victim to expose herself to him during a 1984 encounter, per a report released Wednesday afternoon.
This represents the first public disclosure of Joseph L. Bishop, 85, acknowledging wrongdoing specifically. This also contradicts the report of his son, which states the woman exposed her breasts without being asked to do so during the meeting.
Bishop has repeatedly denied raping the woman, but is heard apologizing to her during a December 2017 conversation she secretly recorded with him. The recording was made public this week by the Las Vegas-based MormonLeaks, an LDS Church watchdog.
The police report, conducted by police at Brigham Young University, offers a brief summary of the December 5 interview with Bishop concerning the incident. The report details Bishop went to a small missionary training center preparation room in the cafeteria with the woman and then asked to see her breasts. She complied with his request, the report says.
When police asked him to explain why his account concerning the rape was different than the alleged victim’s, Bishop stated he cannot remember it or that she was exaggerating her account.
BYU police noted that in a report sent to prosecutors that “his account was fairly similar” to the woman’s, except for the alleged rape.
Because of the passing of the statue of limitations in this matter, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office declined to prosecute.
BYU, which is owned by the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, called this matter, in Tuesday statements, “deeply disturbing.”
The 55-year-old woman, whose name is being withheld because she is an alleged sexual assault victim, lodged her complaint to BYU Police in November.












