This article is courtesy of East Idaho News.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The brother of Latter-day Saint apostle, President D. Todd Christofferson, has been charged with sexual exploitation crimes against minors.
Documents show Wade S. Christofferson, 72, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, just before 8 p.m. According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, he was booked by the FBI on a warrant.
According to public records obtained by ABC4, Wade S. Christofferson currently lives in Dublin, Ohio, and is the brother of President D. Todd Christofferson of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In an obituary for Elder Christofferson’s father, Paul Christofferson, Wade is listed as a surviving child, along with D. Todd Christofferson.
Wade Christofferson is being charged with at least 20 offenses including attempting to sexually exploit a minor with coercion and enticement.
Charging documents allege Christofferson sexually abused a child in Dublin, Ohio. At the time of the alleged offense, the child was reported to be between 7 and 8 years old.
The FBI is listed as the arresting agency involved in Christofferson’s case. However, Salt Lake City’s FBI field office declined to comment on the arrest.
According to documents, Christofferson allegedly sexually abused the child 15 to 20 times. He also is accused of engaging in a sexually explicit FaceTime call with a second minor victim and sending “coded letters to her Utah home that referenced sexual activity.”
An affidavit claims Christofferson taught the 7-year-old Utah victim code words that indicated sexually explicit content. Letters include “Top Secret” messages and coupons. One of which read “Good for one * game with me!! You get to choose the game!” Police believe the asterisk to be a code for “naked.”
Law enforcement believes other symbols indicated other sexually explicit activities. For example, “SS” is believed to indicate “Secret Spanks,” and “Snow” was a codeword for female genitalia.
During a search of Wade S. Christofferson’s residence, an area of the home was found to have children’s writing on the walls along with a mattress, pillows, and blankets, according to a Department of Justice press release.
Police later found Christofferson’s phone reportedly had “criminal defense attorneys sex crimes columbus ohio” in the search history. “In Ohio do clergy have to report child abuse confessions,” was also searched from the phone.
The indictment was filed by U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Ohio. Christofferson will reportedly be extradited from Utah to Ohio.
Records indicate Wade S. Christofferson has no prior arrests or charges. As of Tuesday, Nov. 25, Christofferson is still present on Salt Lake County’s inmate roster.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints declined to comment on the arrest.
