Wyoming
Former Wyoming Minister ‘Unequivocally Denies’ Claims Of Sex Abuse Against Boys
A former Wyoming minister sued on claims he sexually abused three boys in the 1990s denies wrongdoing and says the boys — now men — haven’t overcome the state’s time limit on filing such lawsuits by saying they discovered the abuse roughly 30 years after it happened.
The three men in late March sued former Wyoming Catholic youth minister Doug Hudson, as well as the Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne and Our Lady of Fatima Church in Casper.
They accused the diocese and church of three variations of negligence and one breach of fiduciary duty; and Hudson of sexual assault/civil battery, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress.
They are requesting at least $50,000 per plaintiff in damages.
Hudson filed his answer denying wrongdoing and asserting the men didn’t satisfy the statute of limitations on Wednesday.
The Timeline
Wyoming allows people to sue for sexual assault within eight years of an affected minor’s 18th birthday or three years after the discovery of the alleged abuse, whichever comes later.
The plaintiffs say they discovered the abuse in 2024. They don’t satisfy the “discovery rule” provision, Hudson’s Wednesday answer asserts.
The church and diocese also filed a joint motion asking the court to dismiss three of the four charges against them.
That motion says the men have failed to establish the church system owed them particular duties of care when they were boys, the church and diocese had no indication Hudson was allegedly dangerous before he was hired, and there’s no real legal basis to support the idea that they were negligent in retaining Hudson.
Hudson’s attorney, Ryan Semerad, told Cowboy State Daily his client never hurt the three men, including when they were younger.
“Mr. Hudson is a good man who cares deeply for the Church, the faithful and the youth being brough tup in the Church,” wrote Semerad in a statement. “He unequivocally denies the allegations made against him.
“He has never hurt a young person in his many years working with many young people in the Church and schools affiliated with the Church across America.”
Semerad added that his client “has faith that the truth will reveal he is innocent of the civil charges against him.”
“And,” the statement adds, “while this untrue lawsuit has upended his life and forced him out of the educational career he loved, he is praying for all involved in this matter.”
One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Dallas Laird, declined Wednesday to comment.
As to the men’s 2024 discovery of what they allegedly endured as kids, however, Laird told WyoFile that sometimes people “don’t discover what happened to them until they wonder why their life has gone the way it has, and they go to therapy.”
Back Up
The lawsuit complaint claims that in the 1990s, Hudson sexually assaulted the three boys.
It also says the diocese, an umbrella organization for the church, failed to manage Hudson and protect the plaintiffs.
The document says the diocese and church housed Hudson in Casper for conducting youth services, and that both diocese and church knew Hudson was inviting minors to his house on campus.
Hudson disputes that.
“His housing area was upstairs and a communal area for youth activities was downstairs,” says Hudson’s answer. “He denies that he invited any minors to ‘his house’ as in his housing area upstairs, but admits that he generally allowed minors to visit the communal area downstairs at appropriate times.”
The complaint says — and Hudson acknowledges — that the late Father Pietro Philip Colibraro supervised Hudson at that time.
The diocese lists Colibraro among church authorities with “substantiated allegations” of sexual abuse on their records.
One adolescent male reported abuse by Colibraro in 2005, the diocese’s list says.
The complaint says Colibraro was warned that Hudson was “plying adolescent males with alcohol” but doesn’t say who reported that claim.
It says Hudson sexually assaulted Anthony Jacobson in 1995, Ryan Axlund in 1997, and James Stress in 1996 or 1997, at a hotel during an off-campus trip.
The complaint alleges that Hudson gave Stress “copious” amounts of alcohol and sexually assaulted him.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
Wyoming
Wyoming Supreme Court upholds 125- to 175-year conviction for Steven Marler after child sexual abuse trial in 2025
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Supreme Court has upheld the 2025 conviction of Steven Randall Marler, 52, who was sentenced to 125 to 175 years in prison on eight felony counts of sexually abusing two girls under his foster or adoptive care at his home on Casper Mountain. Marler was also convicted of five misdemeanor batteries and a count of child endangerment. He was found not guilty of sexual abusing another two other minors in the family, including the one who had first brought forward allegations in 2016.
The Supreme Court opinion noted that discrepancies in her testimony from previous statements were revealed at trial.
The appeal claimed that the Natrona County court where the trial was held improperly admitted testimony about physical abuse and Marler’s insistence that the children give him massages, which they said he referred to as a “daddy tax.”
The massages did not result in charges, and Wyoming courts are strict in disallowing evidence of “prior bad acts” for uncharged conduct that might color the opinion of the jury about whether the defendant is guilty of the actual charges.
The opinion released Friday and written by Justice Robert C. Jarosh noted that the Natrona Court, under Judge Kerri Johnson, had multiple hearings before the trial about whether the state should be allowed to introduce that evidence. It can only do so under specific circumstances, such as establishing a course of conduct relevant to “grooming behavior” and illustrating the power Marler held over the children and his ability and motivation in carrying out the abuse.
“The “daddy tax” massage evidence demonstrated a predictable, recurring pattern of behavior that directly illuminated Mr. Marler’s motive and systematic course of conduct,” the opinion reads. “The “daddy tax” massage evidence demonstrated a clear behavioral pattern and provided relevant context about how Mr. Marler targeted and groomed the children by exploiting his parental role and initiating abuse through seemingly innocent touching — all as a means to gratify his sexual desires.”
The opinion also noted that the jury had been properly instructed not to infer guilt based on the testimony about uncharged behavior they might find off-putting.
The appeal attorneys also argued that evidence of punishment in the form of spanking, exercise and withholding food was not relevant to the charged crimes and unfairly prejudicial to Marler.
“However, we agree with the district court this evidence was relevant to show Mr. Marler’s intent and motive to gain submission by the victims,” Friday’s opinion said.
Related
The 78th National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) starts on Sunday, July 19, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and goes through Saturday, July 25, 2026. There are 12 rodeo performances across the seven days, with six in the first round and six in the second round. The top 20 cowboys and cowgirls return to the championship short round at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. Wyoming has 51 contestants competing across the 13 rodeo events, plus light rifle and trap shooting.
WYOMING RODEO ATHLETES OPEN COMPETITION AT NHSFR
Yoder’s Hadley Thompson was the All-Around Cowgirl at the 2025 NHSFR. She won national titles in the breakaway roping and goat last year in Rock Springs. Wyoming finished 11th in the team standings last year with 3,750.00 team points. The Cowboy State’s girls placed sixth, and the boys were 25th. Thompson also had the AQHA Horse of the Year for Cowgirls in CD Smokin Miss Kitty. Emeree Tavegie was sixth in pole bending.
The daily rodeo performances are at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. The first go ends after Wednesday morning’s performance, while the second go ends after Saturday morning’s performance.
Wyoming State High School Finals Rodeo Results & NHSFR Qualifiers 2026
Wyoming’s contestants and events with their draw
Ryley Alameda – Reined Cow Horse (Mon AM, Thurs PM)
Wade Asay – Reined Cow Horse (Tues PM, Wed AM)
Claire Bilek – Girls Cutting (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Kolton Bonenberger – Bull Riding (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Jace Bowles – Team Roping (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Cooper Brownlee – Shooting Rifle and Shooting Trap
Blue Butler – Breakaway Roping (Mon AM, Fri PM); Goat Tying (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Kolbe Chant – Tie-Down Roping (Sun PM, Sat AM)
Heston Crozier – Shooting Trap
Blake Cushman – Pole Bending (Sun PM, Sat AM)
Karly Davis – Barrel Racing (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Teague Duncan – Saddle Bronc (Tues PM, Thurs AM)
Memphis Erdman – Shooting Rifle
Hays Espenscheid – Team Roping (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Kendrie Ewing – Barrel Racing (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Ellie Feathers – Shooting Rifle
Kashley Fornstrom – Barrel Racing (Tues PM, Thurs AM)
Kade Fraley – Saddle Bronc (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Landon Gold – Team Roping (Sun PM, Sat AM); Steer Wrestling (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Teague Goodman – Steer Wrestling (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Tanner Griemsman – Team Roping (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Cody Hayden – Boys Cutting (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Rhame Hicks – Goat Tying (Sun PM, Sat AM)
Stone Hooten – Shooting Trap
Coe Hornbuckle – Barrel Racing (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Carter Hutchison – Steer Wrestling (Tues PM, Thurs AM); Tie-Down Roping (Sun PM, Sat AM); Reined Cow Horse (Mon AM, Thurs AM)
Kress Johnson – Team Roping (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Taylor Kimzey – Shooting Rifle
Emma Martin – Pole Bending (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Bella Martinson – Breakaway Roping (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Anna McQueeney – Girls Cutting (Sun PM, Sat AM)
Raden Miller – Steer Wrestling (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Taten Mills – Team Roping (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Owen Monfeldt – Bull Riding (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Ashtyn Noland – Reined Cow Horse (Mon PM, Thurs AM)
Keon Norris – Bareback Riding (Tues PM, Thurs AM)
Riggin Pearce – Bull Riding (Tues PM, Thurs AM)
Bridger Peil – Tie-Down Roping (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Karly Peterson – Girls Cutting (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Nathan Peterson – Boys Cutting (Tues PM, Thurs AM)
Trenton Rogers – Bareback Riding (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Rickie Jo Rourke – Goat Tying (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Tuf Scarborough – Saddle Bronc (Sun PM, Sat AM)
Ty Scarborough – Saddle Bronc (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Stetson St. Clair – Bull Riding (Wed AM, Wed PM); Team Roping (Sun PM, Sat AM)
Whitney Tarver – Team Roping (Mon PM, Fri AM)
Emeree Tavegie – Pole Bending (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Dylan Thar – Breakaway Roping (Tues AM, Thurs PM)
Hadley Thompson – Breakaway Roping (Mon AM, Fri PM); Pole Bending (Tues PM, Thurs AM); Goat Tying (Wed AM, Wed PM)
Cruz Viles – Team Roping (Mon AM, Fri PM)
Tuf Weber – Shooting Trap
The Light Rifle competition is on Tuesday, July 21, and the Short Go is on Wednesday, July 22 at 1:30 p.m. The Trap Shooting competition is on Thursday, July 23, and the Short Go is on Friday, July 24 at 8 a.m. The Reined Cow Horse event will start on Monday, July 20, and go through Thursday, July 23, each day at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Reined Cow Horse Championship Short Go is on Friday at 4 p.m. The Cutting Events start on Sunday at 7 p.m., then will run at 9 a.m. from Monday through Friday. The 12th Cutting performance is Saturday, July 25 at 8 a.m. The Cutting Championship Short Go is on Saturday at 2 p.m.
National High School Finals Rodeo
National High School Finals Rodeo
Gallery Credit: Dakota Riddle Photography
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