Americans Against Abuses of Polygamy
(Reuters) – A rural West Texas jury handed ex-bishop Fredrick Merril Jessop the maximum prison sentence of 10 years on Tuesday, a day after finding him guilty of marrying polygamist leader Warren Jeffs to a 12-year-old girl. Jeffs, 55, leader of a breakaway Mormon sect, is serving a life term for sexually assaulting two child [...]
ST. GEORGE — A judge dismissed rape charges against Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs Wednesday, following a motion filed by prosecutors. “Based on the circumstances of the case, Mr. Jeffs’ sentence he received in the state of Texas and after discussing with the victims and others involved in the case, we deemed it was [...]
If you read Jon Krakauer’s 2003 book Under the Banner of Heaven, and followed the trial of Warren Jeffs — notorious leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints, now in jail for life for sexual assault (after a stint on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List) — you’ll dig Sam Brower’s Prophet’s [...]
A private detective who lives in Cedar City, Sam Brower pushed the investigation into Warren Jeffs. His book includes writings from Jeffs’ personal journal. Via Author of book about Warren Jeffs will speak, sign / Salt Lake Tribune
Former polygamous sect leader Wendell Nielsen, 70, on Tuesday pleaded no contest to bigamy and was sentenced to serve 10 years of probation. As part of the agreement with prosecutors, Nielsen also will not file an appeal and drop his challenge to Texas’s bigamy statute, said his attorney, David Botsford. Via Former FLDS Leader Pleads [...]
Connie Reece review’s Sam Brower’s “Prophet’s Pray: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints.” via The “big picture” behind the Warren Jeffs trial and FLDS abuse and fraud / Amazon.com
There is a broad range of topics covered in “Breaking Their Will” yet the common theme is maltreatment, what constitutes it, and when and how it goes from parental and religious authority to criminal behavior. via Barbara Quirk: An insightful look at maltreatment of children / Madison.com
HOUSTON — The condition of convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was upgraded from critical to serious following his move Tuesday to a Texas prison hospital for additional treatment after he became sick while fasting, a state corrections official said. via Jeffs moved to prison hospital; condition improved/ Forbes
In an audio tape played today at the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, jurors heard the religious leader allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl and telling her to feel “the spirit of God.” via Warren Jeffs Rape Trial Hears Audio / ABC News
Authorities say Jeffs has received money from loyal followers and that he uses much of it to buy phone time to deliver lengthy sermons to acolytes in Texas, Utah and Arizona. Some Jeffs experts say the calls are proof that he’s running his church from behind bars. via Warren Jeffs seeks to control polygamous sect [...]
