Victim: Jeffs Case Was About Child Abuse

Jury Finds FLDS Leader Warren Jeffs Guilty Of Being Accomplice To Rape Of Girl, Then 14

(CBS/AP) 
Steed testified that his teenage bride initiated their first sexual encounter, approaching him after he fell asleep in his clothes after a 12-hour day at work.

Under Utah law, a 14-year-old can consent to sex in some circumstances. But sex is not considered consensual if a person under 18 is enticed by someone at least three years older.

For reasons prosecutors have never explained, Steed has not been charged with a crime.

The couple was finally granted an FLDS divorce, or a release, as it is called, in 2004 when the teen bride became pregnant with another man's child. She has since left the faith.

Members of the FLDS practice polygamy in marriages arranged by the church prophet. Polygamy was not on trial here - the couple was monogamous - but the case focused attention on its continued practice.

Brought to Utah by members of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, polygamy was abandoned by mainstream Mormons as condition of statehood in 1890. The Mormon church now excommunicates members who engage in the practice. It disavows any connection with the estimated 30,000 self-described Mormon fundamentalist who continue to believe plural marriage brings exaltation in heaven.

Jeffs succeeded his father in 2002 as president of the FLDS, who since the 1920s have lived in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz.

In Arizona, Jeffs is charged with eight felonies for being an accomplice to incest and sexual misconduct with minors in connection with marriages involving two underage girls.

In addition, Jeffs is under federal indictment in Utah on charges of fleeing to avoid prosecution. He was arrested last year during a traffic stop near Las Vegas after about 18 months on the run.

The charismatic Jeffs was captured in a traffic stop last year just outside Las Vegas after about 18 months on the run. At the time, he was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, alongside such figures as Osama bin Laden.

Jeffs was in a red Cadillac Escalade in which investigators found more than $57,000, cell phones, prepaid credit cards, wigs and sunglasses.

"Everyone should now know that no one is above the law, religion is not an excuse for abuse and every victim has a right to be heard," said Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who had endorsed the prosecution in Washington County.

Since at least the 1920s, members of the FLDS have lived in the twin towns of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, where the women wear long prairie dresses and have long braided hair, and the men dress modestly too, often in buttoned-up shirts.

All homes and other property were kept in a trust controlled by Jeffs and other church leaders until a judge in 2005 put an accountant in charge because of allegations of mismanagement.

[mistaken4]

I cannot believe this is type of thing is allowed to go on in this day and age. Religion is no excuse for the rape of a young girl. I don''t care what your god tells you to do --it''s illigal. This man and his cult needs to be shut down for good.

[Krazcarl]

brianbwb are you retarded I''m surprised you can type on the computer what does that have to do with anything have another drink you''ll feel better about yourself

[brianbwb-2009]

Sounds like a Jim Jones style cult. I begin to believe in collective mental illness when I read such stories as these, how one man can order the lives of a group of people, and they accept it, even to the point of death.

Then again, are Bush and his 30% so different?

[agnim]

"Agnim posted this exact same thing on another story. I guess he loves his "copy & pase"!

Posted by nsane4fab4 at 03:21 PM : Sep 26, 2007"

Hundreds of thousands of humans, including Americans, being slaughtered in Iraq is the real national story.
Let the State of Utah deal with the LITTLE issue of Jeff and his Morons who FREELY practice their religious rubbish!

[cryonbrian]

Had he been Black this post would be full of degrading comments! Fact!

[mudrose-2009]

Message?
Americans, save yourselves from the wicked & wanton slaughter!
Extricate yourselves from the Middle East madness of endless vengeance and violence, which has been going on among Middle East war lovers for thousands of years now!
Posted by Agnim

I think you should only post on Arab sites. Your posts are quite boring. The ME sites on the other hand would love to hear what you have to say.

[mudrose-2009]

Another sanctimonious, abusive, prevaricating, rapist holy-roller who should be executed.

Posted by godseyesore

Along with all the other perverts who can''t seem to understand that marriage is solely between one man and one woman.

[nsane4fab4]

I mean paste.

[nsane4fab4]

Agnim posted this exact same thing on another story. I guess he loves his "copy & pase"!

[Krazcarl]

Question has/is the cousin up on charges there were many fingers in this stinking pie.

[Krazcarl]

Agmin is a troll but once in a blue moon he does say something relevent depends on the guality or amount of his stash say he''s running low on both.

[nolalou]

Agnim,

What the hell does your stupid diatribe have to do with this story! Go crawl back in your hole, you idiot!

[godseyesore-2009]

Another sanctimonious, abusive, prevaricating, rapist holy-roller who should be executed.