Chelsea Goodrich’s father, John Goodrich has been apprehended on charges that he sexually assaulted his daughter in Virginia.
John Goodrich is a former bishop in “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
In 2015, she put allegations on John Goodrich, that her father abused her during a field trip to Washington, D.C. in 1999, and throughout growing up.
According to ABC news, the Associated Press in January reported that John Goodrich was charged four felonies which include two counts of aggravated sexual battery by a parent of a child, forcible sodomy, threat or intimidation, and rape by force.
However, in an interview with The Tribune, the former Bishop declined to abuse his daughter.
Chelsea Goodrich disclosed to The Tribune on Wednesday that the bishop was initially hiding, leading to a manhunt until he surrendered himself this week.
Former LDS bishop, John Goodrich Arrested
Chelsea Goodrich stated to the AP,
“I hope this case will finally bring justice for my childhood sexual abuse. I’m grateful it appears that the Commonwealth of Virginia is taking one event of child sexual assault more seriously than years of repeated assaults were treated in Idaho.”
The recent arrest of John Goodrich occurred for the second time. It occurred for the first time when Chelsea along with her mother in 2016 provided evidence to police in Idaho of the alleged abuse.
Despite Bishop’s arrest, charges were later dropped “after the man’s former bishop, to whom John Goodrich reportedly had confessed before being excommunicated, opted against testifying.”
According to Idaho law, clergy are protected from forcing to give information of alleged abuse obtained at the time of spiritual confession.
An investigation by the Associated Press uncovered that the head of the church’s “risk management” team was involved in the case, having paid $300,000 to Chelsea in exchange for a promise not to sue the church over the alleged abuse.
In the wake of this, the victim referred to church representatives and said on Wednesday,
“They know he abused me. I have to fight this battle all on my own because the LDS Church is suppressing the other witnesses involved.”
AP reported that the Bishop “has not been readmitted to church membership”.
Chelsea Goodrich stated that she can’t believe that it is not normal that despite going to Idaho, it is going forward in Virginia. Chelsea Goodrich, who is a licensed therapist added, “heavy Mormon influence in Idaho was not helpful” to the case.
Furthermore, she added,
“The prosecutor isn’t going to be influenced by attorneys for the LDS Church, or trying to save the reputation or image of the church by minimizing the publicity or the consequences to the perpetrator.”
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