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On January 4, 2019, The Truth & Transparency Foundation, a nonprofit group affiliated with the [[MormonLeaks]] website, posted audio in which Van Wagenen holds a conversation with a man identified by the alias "David". In the recording, Van Wagenen confesses to molesting the 13-year-old "David" in 1993 during a sleepover.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Jessica |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/02/05/noted-latter-day-saint/ |title=Noted Latter-day Saint filmmaker admits to molesting boy in 1993; victim wonders why church never offered him help |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |accessdate=5 February 2019}}</ref> At the time, Van Wagenen confessed the incident to his [[Stake (Latter Day Saints)#Stake officers|Stake President]] and a detective. According to a police report, no charges were filed in the case because the victim's parents declined to pursue them. Van Wagenen was [[Disciplinary council#Possible outcomes|disfellowshipped]] for 2 years by the LDS Church.<ref>{{cite web |last=Forgie |first=Adam |url=http://kutv.com/news/local/lds-temple-videos-director-sundance-co-founder-admits-to-child-molestation-says-website|title=LDS temple video director, Sundance co-founder admits to child molestation, claims website |date=4 February 2019 |publisher=KUTV |accessdate=5 February 2019}}</ref>
On January 4, 2019, The Truth & Transparency Foundation, a nonprofit group affiliated with the [[MormonLeaks]] website, posted audio in which Van Wagenen holds a conversation with a man identified by the alias "David". In the recording, Van Wagenen confesses to molesting the 13-year-old "David" in 1993 during a sleepover.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Jessica |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/02/05/noted-latter-day-saint/ |title=Noted Latter-day Saint filmmaker admits to molesting boy in 1993; victim wonders why church never offered him help |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |accessdate=5 February 2019}}</ref> At the time, Van Wagenen confessed the incident to his [[Stake (Latter Day Saints)#Stake officers|Stake President]] and a detective. According to a police report, no charges were filed in the case because the victim's parents declined to pursue them. Van Wagenen was [[Disciplinary council#Possible outcomes|disfellowshipped]] for 2 years by the LDS Church.<ref>{{cite web |last=Forgie |first=Adam |url=http://kutv.com/news/local/lds-temple-videos-director-sundance-co-founder-admits-to-child-molestation-says-website|title=LDS temple video director, Sundance co-founder admits to child molestation, claims website |date=4 February 2019 |publisher=KUTV |accessdate=5 February 2019}}</ref>


Van Wagenen was charged with felony aggravated sexual abuse on April 2, 2017, in Salt Lake City, where he was released on a $75,000 bond.<ref>https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-film-festival-founder-sterling-van-wagenen-charged-sex-abuse-1201402</ref> Van Wagnenen is alleged to have molested a young girl somewhere between 2013 and 2015. <ref>https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/04/10/utah-filmmaker-who/</ref> The Sundance Institue issued a statement, saying: "Recent reports in the press have made us aware of allegations of sexual abuse by Sterling Van Wagenen, who played a role in founding both the Festival and the Institute. He has no current connection to either entity, and hasn’t since he left our Utah Advisory Board in 1993. Sundance Institute categorically denounces his behavior as described in recent reports, and we stand in solidarity with those whose brave truth-telling shines light on abusive behavior.”<ref>https://www.thewrap.com/sundance-institute-denounces-festival-co-founder-sterling-van-wagenens-alleged-abuse/</ref>
Van Wagenen was charged with felony aggravated sexual abuse on April 2, 2019, in Salt Lake City, where he was released on a $75,000 bond.<ref>https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-film-festival-founder-sterling-van-wagenen-charged-sex-abuse-1201402</ref> Van Wagnenen is alleged to have molested a young girl somewhere between 2013 and 2015. <ref>https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/04/10/utah-filmmaker-who/</ref> The Sundance Institue issued a statement, saying: "Recent reports in the press have made us aware of allegations of sexual abuse by Sterling Van Wagenen, who played a role in founding both the Festival and the Institute. He has no current connection to either entity, and hasn’t since he left our Utah Advisory Board in 1993. Sundance Institute categorically denounces his behavior as described in recent reports, and we stand in solidarity with those whose brave truth-telling shines light on abusive behavior.”<ref>https://www.thewrap.com/sundance-institute-denounces-festival-co-founder-sterling-van-wagenens-alleged-abuse/</ref>

==References==
==References==
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Revision as of 02:39, 12 April 2019

Sterling Van Wagenen is an American film and stage producer, writer and director. He is a cofounder of the Sundance Film Festival, and, in association with Robert Redford, he was the founding executive director of the Sundance Institute.[1][2][3][4][5]

Career

He has directed four feature films as well as several documentaries and television episodes, and has produced over fourteen feature films, documentaries, and television series, including the Academy Award winning The Trip to Bountiful, co-produced with Horton Foote and starring Geraldine Page and John Heard. He collaborated again with Foote on Convicts, starring Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones.[6] In 1986 he and Foote were nominated for an Independent Spirit Award as producers of The Trip to Bountiful, and in 1987 they won a Wise Owl Award for the film. In 1992, he won a Crystal Heart Award as director of Alan and Naomi.[7]

From 1999 to 2004, Van Wagenen served as Director of the School of Film and Digital Media at the University of Central Florida. Currently, he is the Producer-in-Residence at the University of Utah, a partner in Pearl Farm Entertainment, based in Los Angeles.[8][9]

Personal life

He is married to Marilee Jeppson, and they have six children and 20 grandchildren.[10][11]

On January 4, 2019, The Truth & Transparency Foundation, a nonprofit group affiliated with the MormonLeaks website, posted audio in which Van Wagenen holds a conversation with a man identified by the alias "David". In the recording, Van Wagenen confesses to molesting the 13-year-old "David" in 1993 during a sleepover.[12] At the time, Van Wagenen confessed the incident to his Stake President and a detective. According to a police report, no charges were filed in the case because the victim's parents declined to pursue them. Van Wagenen was disfellowshipped for 2 years by the LDS Church.[13]

Van Wagenen was charged with felony aggravated sexual abuse on April 2, 2019, in Salt Lake City, where he was released on a $75,000 bond.[14] Van Wagnenen is alleged to have molested a young girl somewhere between 2013 and 2015. [15] The Sundance Institue issued a statement, saying: "Recent reports in the press have made us aware of allegations of sexual abuse by Sterling Van Wagenen, who played a role in founding both the Festival and the Institute. He has no current connection to either entity, and hasn’t since he left our Utah Advisory Board in 1993. Sundance Institute categorically denounces his behavior as described in recent reports, and we stand in solidarity with those whose brave truth-telling shines light on abusive behavior.”[16]

References

  1. ^ Benson, Lee (January 21, 2011). "About Utah: Utah Valley resident Sterling Van Wagenen was there before Redford". Deseret News. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  2. ^ Moore, Roger (June 12, 2011). "The Redford bio, a bit too 'authorized' for my tastes". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  3. ^ Coates, Kristen. "Becoming Sundance: The Development of America's Premiere Film Festival". The Film Stage. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Sterling G Van Wagenen (Faculty Profile)". University of Utah. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  5. ^ Eash, Candy. "Sterling Van Wagenen (interview)". Mormon Artist. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Sterling Van Wagenen". IMDB. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  7. ^ "Sterling Van Wagenen: Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Sterling G Van Wagenen (Faculty Profile)". University of Utah. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  9. ^ Eash, Candy. "Sterling Van Wagenen (interview)". Mormon Artist. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  10. ^ "Peace Officer Crew". Peace Officer. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Margaret Blair Young: Biography". Kickstarter. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  12. ^ Miller, Jessica. "Noted Latter-day Saint filmmaker admits to molesting boy in 1993; victim wonders why church never offered him help". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  13. ^ Forgie, Adam (4 February 2019). "LDS temple video director, Sundance co-founder admits to child molestation, claims website". KUTV. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  14. ^ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-film-festival-founder-sterling-van-wagenen-charged-sex-abuse-1201402
  15. ^ https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/04/10/utah-filmmaker-who/
  16. ^ https://www.thewrap.com/sundance-institute-denounces-festival-co-founder-sterling-van-wagenens-alleged-abuse/


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