Man who abused children in a Redmond church sentenced to prison

REDMOND, Wash. — A man who had an “uncomfortable fixation on children” at a Redmond church was sentenced to at least eight years in prison Friday after admitting to sexually abusing five boys under the age of 12.

Investigators allege that Buckland Darrell, 45, deliberately abused children in his congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) between 2016 and 2022, with several incidents of abuse occurring during services in the church's meetinghouse.

Darrell pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree child abuse in an agreement with prosecutors. Two other pending child abuse counts against Darrell were dismissed as part of the agreement.

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“I have nothing to say except that I'm sorry for the impact I've had on these people's lives,” Darrell said at Friday's hearing. “I'm sorry to the victims for the suffering I've caused them. I'm sorry to their families. I'm absolutely committed to taking whatever steps I need to take to get back into society, to get whatever treatment I need, and to do whatever I can to be a full citizen.”

Prosecutors told Judge Brian McDonald that the families of all the victims agreed with the settlement and the sentencing recommendation.

According to a pre-sentence investigation conducted by the Washington Department of Corrections, church members had repeatedly raised concerns about Darrell's treatment of children before his arrest.

In 2020, two witnesses observed Darrell inappropriately touching the groin of a six-year-old boy during a sacrament meeting. The boy's father and one of the witnesses to the touching contacted Redmond police.

When the father and police questioned the boy, he denied that anything inappropriate had happened. Investigators said there was not enough evidence at the time to bring charges against Darrell.

“[Victim’s father] said he told his children not to sit on Darrell's lap anymore and warned other families not to let Darrell sit with them,” the pre-sentence investigation said. “[Father] said Darrell did not have an official title with the church but printed out the church programs. Darrell was also described as attending many church events, including Cub Scout meetings, where he brought his camera and took pictures of the children. When families asked to see the photos, Darrell would make excuses as to why he could not show or share the pictures.”

In 2023, the same victim revealed to his parents and later investigators that Darrell had sexually abused him during the 2020 sacrament meeting.

The indictment states that Darrell, who is neither married nor childless, has developed friendships over the years with families who have young boys in the community.

“His actions toward all five boys are very similar and indicate a common plan he pursued: to ingratiate himself with these families, isolate and abuse young boys,” Caitlin Cushing, an assistant district attorney, wrote in the charging papers.

Cushing added that Darrell told police the molestation occurred because the boys started it and asked him to touch them.

“This level of delusion suggests he would have reoffended if he were still at large,” the indictment states.

Redmond police alleged that Darrell disclosed that he had sexually abused between six and eight victims and that he offered to give police the names of the victims if there was a favorable outcome in his case.

“Law enforcement refused to accept such a deal,” Cushing wrote.

Detective Marshall Tolbert spoke at the sentencing on Friday and said Darrell tried to use the names of other victims as “bargaining chips.”

“By Mr. Darrell's own admission, there are children who are likely still having to cope on their own,” Tolbert said. “Mr. Darrell has given families a false sense of security – he has acted helpful, gentle and harmless. He is anything but harmless. Outside of captivity, Mr. Darrell would continue to pose an unacceptable risk to any child within reach.”

During the investigation, detectives spoke with a former bishop of the LDS ward that Darrell attended. The bishop revealed that families had raised concerns about Darrell being alone with his children at church events.

“[Bishop] said when he talked to Darrell about it, he made excuses like, “The kids understand me, I'm their friend,” Tolbert wrote in the police report. [Bishop] said Darrell was socially awkward and that he thought Darrell got along better with children than with adults.”

Darrell's attorney, Bryan Hershman, disputed Tolbert's categorization of Darrell's offer to release the victims' names.

“He did it because he wanted to help the community and make amends in this case,” Hershman said.

Darrell was arrested in 2022 after a family reported that he abused a young boy while at their home for Thanksgiving dinner. According to the indictment, Darrell knew the family from church and played with a seven-year-old boy after dinner.

The boy's father was concerned about Darrell's interactions with the boy as they sat together on a couch. A police report states that Darrell showed his father his hands when he saw him watching the interaction on the couch.

The father told police he had lost track of Darrell and the boy, who later said Darrell went into his bedroom and sexually assaulted him.

Days later, Darrell came home and the boy complained of stomach pains. The father asked the boy if Darrell had abused him and the boy said yes, according to the report.

Members of Darrell's former LDS congregation attended his sentencing hearing on Friday.

“He basically portrayed himself as a 'big kid' who was a little awkward with people and a little weird, but a good, well-meaning guy,” said Chris Welton, who knew Darrell from church.

Welton said she believes local church leaders missed the warning signs that Darrell was manipulating children, their parents and parishioners to gain access to children.

“He was around little kids all the time – and people felt sorry for him and gave him Christian love. He took advantage of that at every opportunity,” Welton said. “There was just no follow-up and Buckland took advantage of that,”

Eight years is the minimum time Darrell will spend in prison. He must register as a sex offender and be under supervision for the rest of his life.

Prosecutors said that as part of the agreement, Darrell agreed to turn over his electronic devices to authorities.