The brother of an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pleaded guilty in federal court in Ohio on Thursday, admitting that he coerced and enticed a minor.

Wade S. Christofferson, 73, admitted to sexually abusing two girls in Ohio and Utah, according to plea agreement documents, and he pleaded guilty to coercing and exploiting the Utah girl through sexually explicit letters and phone calls.

Federal prosecutors say the charge carries a minimum-mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison, but he could be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a federal lockup. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Christofferson’s older brother is D. Todd Christofferson, who is a Latter-day Saint apostle and a member of the faith’s governing First Presidency.

The Salt Lake City-based church has said that the apostle did not learn about any abuse allegations against his sibling until sometime in 2020-21.

“That matter involved abuse from decades earlier that was denied,” a church spokesperson said in a statement. “Consistent with respect for adult survivor rights and a request for privacy … he did not take independent public action.”

When the church leader learned “late last year” of the recent abuse that led to the federal charge, the statement added, he “reported it to legal authorities within hours.”

“Child abuse is inexcusable,” the statement said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to preventing, reporting and addressing abuse.”

According to “a statement of facts” in Thursday’s plea agreement, Wade Christofferson was FaceTiming with the Utah girl last November, when her father overheard him asking her to see “snow” and “friends.”

After Christofferson’s request, the girl went into a bathroom closet and closed the door. Her father opened the door a few seconds later, the statement says, and found the girl lifting up her shirt to the camera.

Police started investigating a week later after a man in Ohio — who knew about the alleged abuse in Utah — reported that Christofferson had also sexually abused his daughter.

Christofferson, prosecutors said in their news release, admitted to “hands-on sexual abuse of the child in Utah and the second victim in Ohio approximately 20 times.”

The Utah girl told her father, and later investigators, that Christofferson had taught her code words, and that “friends” meant “nipples,” and “snow” referenced her genitals. The father told investigators that Christofferson had been sending his daughter letters over the past six months that used these and other sexual “code words.”

The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify alleged sexual assault victims and is not specifying how Christofferson knew the two girls in an effort to protect their privacy.

Police in Dublin, Ohio — where Christofferson lives — searched his home in November, and a review of his phone allegedly revealed a search history for criminal defense attorneys in Ohio and Utah, as well as the phrase, “In Ohio do clergy have to report child abuse confessions.”

He also admitted that he sent a text indicating that he was sorry and planned to meet with his bishop to start the repentance process.