Les Hughey is the founder of Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Highlands is a megachurch with around fifty staff. Before founding Highlands, he was a youth pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church and the First Baptist Church in Modesto, California. He left his position in Modesto after several allegations of sexual abuse of the girls and young women at the church emerged. The church sent him off without disclosing his actions to the congregation. He resigned from Highlands.
Police in Scottsdale have compiled a 100-page report on allegations that go from his early career in Modesto through his years at Scottsdale Bible Church and involve dozens of young people. At least seven women came forward in 2018 alleging his sexual abuse as a youth pastor in Modesto. They were teens, he was in his twenties. Dozens more allege a toxic culture of abuse at Scottsdale Bible.
The allegations are similar in describing how he created a culture of physical touching in the youth group with kids ranging from 15 to 19, giving each other massages, and then touching the genitalia of those he massaged. There are allegations of nudity, indecent exposure, groping, and in some cases, raping minor girls.
Of course, he was allowed to continue due to organizational culture of covering up abuse and passing the child molester on to become another church’s problem.
- Scottsdale Progress: Police detail sex allegations against ex-pastor
- AZCentral: 2 more women level sex-abuse allegations against Scottsdale pastor
Sun, Jul 17, 2022 ·Page C1
