Scott D. Owen was a therapist in Salt Lake City. Mormon church leaders often referred gay church members to him for counseling within the practice of the church. That used to include conversion therapy but now urges celibacy, the kinder, gentler homophobia. A man referred to him in 2015 said that as part of therapy he would tell him to undress and touch him. He said the touching was part of the therapy.
He reported the abuse to his bishop but nothing was done to address Owen’s sexual assault. The bishop did not report him but encouraged him to report it to authorities. Authorities were more inclined to believe Owen’s denials than the victim’s report. Owen admitted to hugging the patient and touching him but not sexually. He got a reprimand but no information was posted to warn people looking for a therapist.
There were more victims of course. Owen voluntarily surrendered his license. The licensing bureau and the church leadership knew that men had alleged he groped them and sexually assaulted them. They looked the other way.
In November, 2023, Owen was charged with 6 counts of object rape and 4 counts of forcible sodomy. After a standoff in a ghost town, he was booked in Utah County.
- Pro Publica: A Utah Therapist Built a Reputation for Helping Gay Latter-day Saints. These Men Say He Sexually Abused Them.
- KUER: His ‘miracle’ turned into trauma when a gay Utah man entered therapy
Author/Byline: Jessica Miller | Section: News
