Lawsuit Alleges Ridgefield LDS Church Ignored Sex Abuse

A lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon alleges that a Ridgefield LDS stake president and a bishop failed to intervene after learning that a Ridgefield man was sexually abusing his teenage adoptive daughter.

The complaint, filed by a plaintiff under the pseudonym “Julie Doe,” accuses the LDS Church of negligence for prioritizing internal procedures over child safety. The plaintiff, now an adult residing in Pierce County, Washington, is seeking $25 million in total damages along with punitive damages.

Failure to Report

According to court documents, the plaintiff was placed in foster care with Jennifer and Craig Ford in Ridgefield, Washington, in 2013, and the couple adopted her in 2014.

By 2015, the family regularly attended an LDS Church ward in a stake near Ridgefield. Craig Ford regularly participated in Sacrament, and Julie Doe served as a counselor in a young women’s group.

The complaint alleges that in late December 2015, 31-year-old Craig Ford began sexually abusing 15-year-old Julie Doe.

In the spring of 2016, Jennifer Ford reportedly discovered explicit letters Craig Ford had written to the teen, as well as a sex toy he had purchased for her. Jennifer Ford took this evidence to local LDS Bishop and Stake President Wade Pickett.

Stake President Pickett read a letter where Craig Ford expressed a desire to be with the minor “forever,” yet Pickett allegedly did not contact law enforcement, investigate, or intervene to stop the abuse.

Abuse Escalates Across State Lines

Because of the Church’s alleged failure to act, the lawsuit claims Craig Ford was able to separate from his wife, pick the minor up from a trip to Montana, and move her to an apartment in Albany, Oregon.

While living alone with the minor in Oregon, Craig Ford subjected her to near-daily sexual abuse and rape. During this time, they continued to participate in local LDS services. Despite Albany church leaders allegedly observing that Craig Ford displayed risqué images he likened to Julie Doe, and noting “unusual” interactions between the two, the church took no action to protect her.

Vancouver Police Uncover the Truth

The abuse was ultimately halted not by church intervention, but by a note passed in a Washington school. In the fall of 2016, Craig Ford’s youngest daughter gave a note to a classmate stating, “I wish my teacher knew that we think my dad had sex with sister.” The classmate’s mother immediately contacted the Vancouver Police Department.

The Vancouver Police Department and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services launched an investigation.

During an interview with DSHS, Stake President Pickett acknowledged that Jennifer Ford had previously notified him of the abuse and shown him the incriminating letters.

Craig Ford is currently serving a prison sentence following multiple criminal convictions. He was convicted of incest and child molestation in Clark County, Washington, in 2018 for the abuse of another adopted daughter. He was later convicted of incest and rape regarding Julie Doe in Linn County, Oregon, in 2021, and again in Clark County, Washington, in 2022.

Institutional Cover-Up Allegations

The lawsuit points to a broader, systemic issue within the religious institution. It alleges that the LDS Church maintains a policy directing leaders who receive reports of abuse to call an internal “Abuse Help Line” rather than civil authorities, effectively ensuring the information is handled by church attorneys.

The suit claims the Church also maintains a policy of regularly destroying documents created by hotline staff.

A copy of the complaint is available here.