Church leader charged with sexual abuse after allegedly giving naked massages to multiple boys

CHUBBUCK — A 45-year-old man has been arrested aft constabulary opportunity he gave naked massages to aggregate young boys.

Virgil Larson is charged pinch 5 counts of felony kid intersexual abuse.

Court documents opportunity connected July 3, a Bannock County Sheriff’s lawman was told of a imaginable intersexual maltreatment lawsuit aft “several boys had perchance been touched inappropriately by a neighbour and religion leader who was giving them massages.”

Court documents opportunity Larson was nan first counsellor successful nan activity of his section Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ward.

Three insignificant victims reported nan maltreatment to their ward bishop. The Sheriff’s Office learned astir nan maltreatment from nan Kirton McConkie Law Office successful Lehi, Utah, which represents nan church, according to constabulary reports.

The rule agency reportedly disclosed nan accusation to nan Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The victims identified nan fishy arsenic Larson and stated that “the massages were done connected nan naked body, focusing connected nan buttocks.”

On July 5, a female met pinch a lawman and reported that Larson had besides been massaging her son. According to constabulary reports, she “did not deliberation thing of it since (Larson) is simply a trusted individual pinch nan church. ”

According to nan woman, Larson had picked up her boy from their location and taken him to his location for a massage.

When they arrived, they entered a chamber pinch a massage table, and Larson reportedly locked nan door. According to tribunal documents, nan unfortunate past “got frightened and started praying.”

The unfortunate stated Larson requested nan unfortunate return disconnected each of his apparel because “it was amended to person skin-to-skin interaction during nan massage.”

By July 9, 4 much victims had travel forward, bringing nan full to 7 victims, 1 of which was 18 years old.

Each insignificant unfortunate was asked to participate successful a forensic question and reply astatine Bright Tomorrow’s Child Advocacy Center, and nan big unfortunate was asked to question and reply pinch a deputy.

During nan forensic interviews, nan victims reported akin stories of being massaged naked, pinch a towel covering their backstage areas. Each unfortunate said Larson ne'er touched their genitals but said he often came very close.

One unfortunate stated they would often play hoops pinch different children successful nan religion and that Larson was usually location aft picking them up from their homes to bring them to play.

The unfortunate says he suffered a backmost injury, and Larson invited him to his location for a massage. When he arrived, they entered nan chamber pinch nan massage table, and Larson reportedly locked nan doorway earlier removing nan victim’s apparel and massaging his buttocks.

At 1 point, nan unfortunate says Larson utilized a “cupping device,” which caused bruising connected his back.

After nan forensic interview, this victim’s mother told deputies she was not alert her boy was receiving massages until she saw nan bruising connected his backmost and asked him astir it.

The mother besides gave deputies much names of imaginable victims, 2 of whom are reportedly serving religion missions retired of state.

One unfortunate reported a akin massage maltreatment communicative and besides said he “consistently receives matter messages from (Larson).”

Many of nan victims reported emotion uncomfortable during nan massages, including 1 who asked if he could support immoderate apparel on, and Larson reportedly said he should beryllium naked truthful he “didn’t get coconut lipid connected (his) underwear.”

Many victims besides claimed Larson made nan business “seem normal” moreover though they felt it wasn’t. They besides claimed Larson was often “out of breath” during nan massages.

Victims reported location were nary intersexual conversations had during nan massages and Larson would “only talk astir basketball, golf, aliases really nan time was going.” However, 1 unfortunate reported Larson had taken a photograph of him connected nan massage array to show nan bruising connected his back.

One unfortunate reported a different situation, wherever Larson had taken him to Gold’s Gym and reportedly exposed his genitalia to him mid-conversation while successful nan locker room.

When talking to nan parents of nan victims, a fewer claimed they knew astir nan massages but thought that “Larson had immoderate beingness therapy training.” Some besides stated they recovered retired astir nan alleged maltreatment aft aggregate children reported it to their church’s bishop.

On July 25, Larson was interviewed by deputies. According to constabulary reports, Larson claimed he presently useful successful finance but stated he “initially worked for a beingness therapist and thought that was what he wanted to do earlier he settled connected finance. ”

Court documents opportunity Larson admitted he has nary general acquisition successful beingness therapy but said he has finance clients who were massage therapists and has taken his kid to beingness therapy sessions.

Larson claimed 2 of his relatives person beingness ailments, truthful he researched connected nan net to find ways to thief them, which led him to bargain a massage table.

When asked really galore group he had massaged extracurricular his family, Larson said, “Possibly 8 aliases 9 group successful nan past year.”

He past allegedly began telling nan lawman astir a boy he massaged, who had already identified themselves arsenic a victim. Larson said nan victim’s parents were alert of nan massaging and denied immoderate rubbing of nan victim’s backstage areas.

When asked if he had accidentally touched immoderate of nan minor’s backstage areas, Larson reportedly stated he “could not callback aliases not that he was alert of.”

He later admitted that location “may person been times erstwhile (the victim’s genitalia) were covered pinch a towel and arsenic he pushed connected an area of nan body, it would move, and nan covered genitalia would touch his hand” but stated location was “no intention.”

Larson past told nan lawman astir galore of nan victims, telling very akin stories to nan reports against him but saying that he couldn’t place if immoderate of them were minors.

When asked if nan parents of nan victims knew that “their children were going to beryllium nude astatine his residence and that he was going to beryllium massaging their glutes.” Larson reportedly stated he felt it was “understood” but did not “specifically person those conversations pinch nan parents.”

He besides reportedly claimed nan massages “were not intersexual to him.”

That aforesaid day, deputies learned of 2 much imaginable victims, a insignificant boy and a seven-year-old girl. According to nan girl, Larson asked her and aggregate different children to travel to his location for cupping therapy.

A warrant was issued for Larson’s apprehension connected Tuesday, and he was booked into nan Bannock County Jail connected nan aforesaid time pinch a enslaved of $100,000.

On Wednesday, his enslaved was lowered to $25,000 and he posted bail to beryllium released and sent to pre-trial supervision.

He is expected to look for a preliminary proceeding connected Oct. 1. If convicted, he could look up to life successful prison.

Though Larson has been charged pinch these crimes, this does not needfully mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed guiltless until proven guilty.