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Shawn Cory Gooden pleaded guilty in July 2023, after an extensive investigation revealed he sexually assaulted a relative, when they were between the ages of nine and 13 years old, multiple times over the course of January 1997 to December 2000, according to the Prince William County police department.
Gooden held the following positions until his arrest in Sept. 2022; Bishop with the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and member of the executive board for the New Birth of Freedom Boy Scouts organization, according to public records from the organizations. Additionally. he was a lawyer at Weber Gallagher and Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP in Harrisburg. However, "Shawn no longer was employed at Weber Gallagher as of August, 2021, more than a year prior to his arrest," the firm told Daily Voice.
His LinkedIn lists that he is currently an Adjunct Professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg, but obviously, since he was recently sentenced to prison time that is no longer accurate, although a presentation he gave to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry remains on the state's official website.
During the investigation, police discovered Gooden sexually assaulted another young relative, who was between the ages of eight and 12 years old during their assault— which happened during the same timeframe, authorities say.
The felony charges he pleaded guilty to in Virginia were:
- Taking indecent liberties with children.
- Aggravated sexual battery.
- Forcible sodomy (two counts).
On Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, He was sentenced in Prince William Circuit Court to serve at least 2.5 years in prison, followed by at least 5 years of supervised probation upon release, and he has been registered as a sex offender, according to the court documents.
This is not the end of Gooden's assault cases, as he is also facing 19 charges regarding the rape of three children under the age of 13 years old in Berks County, PA, county records show. Those offenses are dated April 21, 2000, and he was arraigned on the charges on Sept. 13, 2023. His status hearing is scheduled before Judge Thomas G. Parisi at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2023, according to his latest docket.
Anyone with information regarding the incidents listed in this report is asked to contact the Prince William County Police Department tipline at 703-792-7000 or Pennsylvania State Police Reading at 610-378-4011.
The BSA also offers a 24/7 Scouts First Helpline 1-844-SCOUTS1 and email contact address scouts1st@scouting.org for help reporting suspected abuse or inappropriate behavior.
Editor's Note: This article originally ran saying Gooden was employed as a lawyer at a Harrisburg firm through Sept. 2022, but this has been updated after Daily Voice received a statement from Weber Gallagher.
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