A man accused of abusing 14 boys—some as young as 8—escaped justice once. We cannot let him do it again.

William James Purdy was a missionary in Tonga with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Court documents say he used video games, toys, and money to lure boys into his care. He promised to help their families. Instead, he sexually abused them—on church property, in his home, and even while living with them.

When local authorities finally arrested him, he was granted pretrial release. His passport was taken. But that didn’t stop him.

According to U.S. and Tongan officials, he used a fake passport with another man’s name, fled to Fiji, and eventually made his way back to Utah. He even pressured U.S. officials to bring one of the boys he abused to live with him again—this time on a student visa.

Now he’s finally been arrested in Pennsylvania. But the children he hurt in Tonga are still waiting for justice. He left before their trial began. They never got to face him in court.

This petition isn’t just about one man. It’s about a system that let him run. It’s about families who trusted him—and were betrayed. And it’s about making sure powerful institutions, like churches and governments, don’t let cases like this quietly disappear.

We’re calling on the U.S. Department of Justice and the State Department to coordinate with Tonga and return William Purdy to face trial where these crimes happened. And we urge LDS Church leaders to fully cooperate with any investigations and support the survivors they failed to protect.

If this happened in your community, you’d want justice too. Those boys deserve to be heard. And they deserve to know their abuser didn’t get away with it.

Add your name if you believe the United States must not shelter abusers—especially when the world is watching.