What happens when a trusted Mormon leader learns about child sexual abuse –and choses not to report it? In this powerful and heartbreaking episode, Rebecca Gooden and her son Matthew share their family’s story of abuse, betrayal, and institutional failure within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Years after discovering that her husband, Shawn Gooden, had sexually abused two of her younger brothers, Rebecca found herself confronting a devastating reality: church leaders had known about the abuse and failed to act. Despite allegations involving child sexual abuse, Shawn continued to receive leadership callings, serving in bishoprics, high councils, and eventually as a bishop and stake presidency counselor. The story becomes even more troubling when Pennsylvania Stake President Rhett Hintze learned of the abuse in 2020. As a mandatory reporter under Pennsylvania law, Hintze was later charged with failure to report child abuse. Although the charges were ultimately dropped, many questions remain about how church leaders handled the case, why victims received little to no support, and why Hintze was later promoted to an Area Seventy. Throughout this interview Rebecca and Matthew discuss Shawn Gooden’s abuse and eventual excommunication, the impact of abuse on victims and families, mandatory reporting laws and clergy responsibilities, how the Church handles abuse allegations, the doctrine of discernment, and institutional cover-ups. They also discuss why they ultimately stepped away from the Mormon church and Rebecca shares how she has now moved closer to healing, self-discovering (now calling herself Eloise), and greater empowerment. This episode explores difficult but important questions about accountability, victim protection, and whether religious institutions truly prioritize the vulnerable when abuse is reported. If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, we encourage you to contact local authorities, licensed therapists, and survivor support organizations. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/mormon-leader-promoted-after-covering-up-abuse/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:50 - Why tell her story 00:03:11 - Shawn Gooden and Rhett Hintze 00:06:45 - Mormon background 00:09:00 - Were there signs? 00:12:40 - (Clip) Elder Eyring’s talk 00:17:30 - (Clip) Pres Benson’s talk 00:25:40 - The abuse 00:28:35 - Boy Scout Program 00:32:35 - Second Counselor then bishop 00:37:45 - Victim one reports abuse 01:01:35 - Her family moved away 01:07:55 - Felt forced to stay 01:15:11 - Rhett Hintze 01:27:00 - Shawn was excommunicated 01:35:50 - Wade Christofferson 01:45:28 - Mandatory reporting laws in PA 01:48:48 - Failure to report 01:51:25 - Therapist reports abuse 02:00:15 - Church’s history of covering abuse 02:12:55 - Hintze sends out an email 02:20:35 - Forgiveness 02:24:08 - Second email 02:26:24 - Shaw’s email 02:44:35 - Hintze is charged/arrested 02:48:42 - Talking to the Area Authority 02:53:29 - (Clip) Statement after Hintze’s arrest 03:03:05 - Elder Haynie 03:11:55 - Charges dropped against Hintze 03:15:45 - Hintze promoted 03:20:13 - Facebook post 03:22:18 - Stake President contacted her 03:29:55 - Deseret News article 03:44:05 - Looking back 03:46:12 - Her life now 03:50:00 - Taking a new name 04:04:48 - Final remarks ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117