Lehi man charged with sexual abusing 3 under guise of giving physicals

The Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — A Lehi man faces numerous sex abuse charges accusing him of convincing three young men — including two he met while they were serving as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — that he needed their help for clinical procedures.

Leonard Loschen, 72, is charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony, and seven counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.

Loschen convinced the men that he needed practice either giving them physicals or placing a catheter, according to charging documents.

One man said he first met Loschen while serving a mission in Texas. At that time, Loschen “informed the missionaries that he was conducting medical research and wanted them to take part,” the charges state. The missionary said he did not participate, but said Loschen later contacted him in Utah after his mission and asked him to participate. He described Loschen as being “very pushy.”

At that time, Loschen gave the man a physical, but the man told investigators it was not like any other sports physical he had ever received. The man said after he and his wife learned that the research was a scam, they “contacted Loschen who admitted to being perverted and was seeking help with his bishop,” according to the charges.

Police say another victim was also serving a mission in Texas in 2018 when he first met Loschen. Loschen allegedly claimed he had a home health care class but his partner dropped out and he was being sued because of it and he would lose his car and house if he didn’t finish the class. He convinced the man to help him with lab work that included physicals, massages and catheters, the charges state.

The abuse happened multiple times in Sandy and Brigham City, according to court documents.

Loschen also befriended a third man whom he met through the family of one of the other victims, police say. In December 2018, he allegedly told the man that he was taking a class to be a certified caretaker and would face legal action if he didn’t finish the class. Loschen then offered to pay the man money to help him finish the class by performing certain procedures including enemas and inserting catheters, the charging documents state.

When interviewed by Sandy police, Loschen said “that he lied to the boys, he took advantage of the boys and that he did perform the procedures,” according to the charging documents. He allegedly claimed he was sexually abused as a child himself and that “this is how his parents showed him he was loved.”

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