Other Christian institutions & contexts Latter-day Saint movements Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas, USA · 2001

United States: LDS ward clerk convicted of indecency with a member's child after two families' complaints to the bishop, affirmed

Record class

Core record

Evidence status

Convicted

Authority role

ward clerk, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward, Harlingen, Texas

Organization

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Harlingen ward, Texas

Spiritual nexus

Maldonado held the leadership calling of ward clerk in a Harlingen LDS congregation and, per the opinion, 'became involved in various activities with church members and their children' through that standing. Two separate families reported him to the ward bishop, Richard Jordon, for inappropriate touching of their daughters in 1998 and 1999 before he was finally removed from his position; the bishop's testimony about those confrontations was admitted at trial over a clergy-privilege objection.

Pastoral or clerical authority
Institutional obedience or isolation

Evidence structure

Proceedings

2001-08-23 · direct appeal

Court of Appeals, Thirteenth District of Texas (Corpus Christi). A Cameron County jury found Roberto Vandevert Maldonado guilty of indecency with a child for touching the victim's breasts. As a habitual offender, he was sentenced to 40 years' confinement. The Thirteenth Court of Appeals held the clergy-privilege objection to the bishop's testimony was properly overruled and the evidence legally sufficient, and AFFIRMED the conviction (Maldonado v. State, No. 13-00-357-CR).

Documented coercion mechanisms

leadership calling (ward clerk) within the congregation, used to become involved in church members' activities with their children
institutional response that quietly removed him from his position rather than reporting to police, delaying accountability across at least two separate families' complaints

Primary record

Sources

court reporting appellate opinion Maldonado v. State, No. 13-00-357-CR (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi Aug. 23, 2001). CourtListener opinion id 2919611.: Full opinion: 'Appellant, a ward clerk in a Harlingen church, became involved in various activities with church members and their children. In 1998 and 1999, two families told their church's superior that appellant was "inappropriately" touching their daughters. In 1998, Richard Jordon, the Harlingen church's bishop, called a meeting with appellant to confront him about a complaint that he kissed a minor girl. In 1999, Bishop Jordon confronted appellant with another complaint... After the second incident, appellant was told that he no longer had a leadership position with the church and was not welcome there... Since he was a habitual offender, appellant was sentenced to confinement for 40 years... the judgment of the trial court is AFFIRMED.'

Related record

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