I have suspected for years that being a male, especially an elder or a relative of an elder, means you are much less likely to be disfellowshipped for sexual immorality than if you are a woman, especially if you are not related to an elder. For example, a young girl is disfellowshipped for "heavy petting, her boyfriend, an elders son, is reproved.
It doesn't seem to make a difference if the immorality involves children, unless it becomes known to the congregation. This is very disturbing and tells you a lot about how women are viewed in the organization compared to men. Female sexuality seems to be feared and detested, men, especially elders are given leniency, and are questioned far less.
They had something eons ago from the "questions from the reader" that stated if an elder had confessed to a serious sin many years prior nothing needed to be done, as his continuing service as an elder proved that God had forgiven him. There seemed to be no consequences for basically lying by omission, hiding their sin and deceiving the congregation by being a hypocrite. Certainly no "out" like that was available to women.
The Jehovah's Witnesses certainly is a man's world.