Hailey, Idaho (AP) – In March 2017, after Chelsea Goodrich recounted her tales of sexual abuse at the hands of her father, John Goodrich, a former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to Risk Management Division director Paul Rytting, in Hailey, Idaho, a surprising offer was made to Chelsea and her mother, Lorraine. Rytting offered her and her mother $300,000 in exchange for their silence regarding the sexual abuse claims against Goodrich. Despite expressing concern for the abuse done to Chelsea, Rytting employed a legal maneuver that protected the church from claims of child sexual abuse, leaving Goodrich a free man.
Fast forward to September 2023, and John Goodrich, a former bishop practicing dentistry is a free man in Idaho. Although the church said the abuse of Goodrich is “inexcusable,” they excommunicated him and did not readmit him into church membership. However, the recordings from Rytting’s meetings with the Goodriches provide insight into how the church keeps allegations of child sex abuse under wraps, leaving predators free and children at risk.
Chelsea began to confront disturbing memories of her father’s inappropriate behavior in the spring of 2015. John Goodrich admitted to climbing into bed with Chelsea in a state of arousal and slipping close behind her on a school field trip to Washington D.C., a recorded conversation with Chelsea and Lorraine. Chelsea and Lorraine had recorded their confrontations with John about the alleged abuse. The recordings also provided a window into the church’s child sex abuse lawsuit, where Rytting made sworn statements describing the management of the secretive church Helpline, a phone number set up by the church for bishops to report instances of child sex abuse.
