New Charges for Polygamist Sect Leader Jeffs
Posted on: Wednesday, 23 July 2008, 09:05 CDT
ELDORADO, Texas
A Texas grand jury indicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs and four of his followers Tuesday on charges of felony sexual assault of a child. Another was indicted for failing to report child abuse.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the five men are charged with one count of sexually assaulting girls younger than 17. One of them, but not Jeffs, faces an additional charge of bigamy.
Abbott said a sixth member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse.
Jeffs, 52, already has been convicted of being an accomplice to rape in Utah and awaiting trial in Arizona on other charges related to underage marriages. Now, he is accused of assaulting a girl in Texas in January 2005, according to the indictment issued Tuesday.
"Our investigation in this matter is not concluded," said Abbott, whose office is acting as the special prosecutor in the case.
The grand jury in this tiny western Texas ranching community will continue consideration of other possible criminal charges on Aug. 21, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because proceedings of the panel are secret by law.
The identities of Jeffs' followers who were indicted in addition to him were not released Tuesday because the indictments remain sealed until authorities can arrest the men.
"There will be an aggressive effort to apprehend them," Abbott said when asked whether he was concerned the men might have fled Texas.
FLDS members have historically lived around the Arizona-Utah line and bought the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado about five years ago.
Willie Jessop, a church member and spokesman, said members would face the accusations.
"We're actually quite, shocked," he said. "As soon as we know who they're looking for, we'll try to face it. We believe in our innocence."
Source: Virginian - Pilot
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