Synopses & Reviews
This brilliantly reported, unforgettable true story reveals how one of the most monstrous sexual criminals in the history of the Mormon church preyed on his victims even as he was protected by the church elders who knew of his behavior.
When Seattle attorney Tim Kosnoff agreed to listen to an eighteen-year-old man who claimed to have been molested by his Mormon Sunday school teacher, he had no idea he was embarking on a quest for justice on behalf of multiple victims or that the battle would consume years of his life and pit him against the vast, powerful, and unrepentant Mormon church itself.
As Kosnoff began to investigate the case, he discovered that the Sunday school teacher, a mysterious figure named Frank Curtis, possessed a long and violent prison record before he was welcomed into the church, where he became a respected elder entrusted with the care of prepubescent Mormon boys.
The amazing legal case at the heart of The Sins of Brother Curtis shows how the church’s elite, well-funded team of attorneys claimed the church was protected under the Constitution from revealing that Curtis had molested a number of Mormon boys. Yet Kosnoff and his devoted legal team (which included a female investigator adept at getting parents of victims to talk to her) succeeded in forcing the church to reveal that it knew about Curtis and ultimately achieved a successful settlement.
Emotionally powerful page by page, The Sins of Brother Curtis delivers a redemptive reading experience in which the truth, no matter how painful and hidden, is told at last and justice is hard won. This is a remarkable story, all true.
Synopsis
Written by a seasoned journalist, a penetrating look at the life and crimes of the most monstrous sexual criminal in the history of the Mormon Church. Frank Curtis was a small time hood in Al Capone’s Chicago machine, yet he still managed to become an elder in the Mormon church—which became bad news for dozens of young Mormon boys during the 1970s and eighties. Curtis preyed on home situations where fathers were missing and mothers over-extended, seducing, threatening, attacking one boy after the next. But when Seattle attorney Tim Kosnoff took on the case of eighteen-year-old Jeremiah Scott, who claimed he had been repeatedly molested by his Sunday school teacher, he had no idea how deep the corruption would run. What began as a seemingly simple case of seeking reparations turned into a complicated web of dozens of cases of abuse across several states. Eventually joined by an entire team of attorneys and investigators, Kosnoff found himself up against one of the most controversial and insular institutions—religious or otherwise—in the United States.
Emotionally powerful and filled with stellar reporting, The Sins of Brother Curtis uncovers the shocking complex, multilayered case of one man, protected by the Mormon Church, even as he victimized its own membership.
About the Author
Lisa Davis is a seasoned investigative reporter who has worked as a senior writer at Village Voice Media publications in San Francisco (SF Weekly) and Phoenix, AZ. (New Times), and has written for various publications including The Arizona Republic, Phoenix Gazette, Business Journal and Slate online magazine. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in Baltimore and a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and urban studies from San Francisco State University.