LDS Church Missionary Accused Of Sexual Abuse

KSL.com/January 11, 2005

A missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls, and videotaping the acts. Sandra Yi is live in our newsroom with details of the investigation.

Police say the suspect videotaped himself fondling the 2 teenage girls as they slept. 21-year old John Baysden was arrested Saturday. Court documents say he was staying at a home in this Roy neighborhood. One of the victims awoke to find him standing over her with his hand on her breast. She noticed his video camera.

Police say, when the family confronted him, he gave them the camera and videotapes. Police say, the tapes also show Baysden fondling the teen's 17-year old cousin, on a different occasion. He told police, he also inappropriately touched the same girl once before while she slept and didn't tape it. He also admitted trying to tape the bedroom of his neighbor's 16-year old daughter.

Greg Whinham/Roy Police Chief: "We find that predators and people who want to commit this type of crime actually find ways to get there, their positions of trust with people, as part of that trying to do the thing that they're doing."

Baysden is from North Carolina and was serving an L-D-S mission here in Utah. Police say he was in Roy for the past 6 weeks, and was invited to stay over at one of the victim's homes several times. Investigators are reviewing 4 videotapes to see if there are more victims.

Baysden is charged with 3 counts of forcible sexual abuse and is being held in jail, on $30,000 bail. The LDS Church says, Baysden has been released from his mission.