Archives : Cult

Have you seen the photo of the FLDS spiritual leader, 51-year-old Warren Jeffs, cradling in his arms and deeply kissing — and we’re talking about a “wedding”-type kiss here — a then twelve-year-old girl?

The photo was introduced on Friday in the custody case of an infant born two weeks ago to Louisa Bradshaw Jessop, and fathered by Dan Jessop, who is the brother of the girl Jeffs is passionately kissing. Maybe it was meant to jog the memory of the witness, Louisa, who responded, “I don’t know,” or “I can’t remember right now,” to nearly every question posed to her, including how long she’d been at the ranch and who lived in her household.

What did you think was happening in those big happy polygamous families? Anyone who’s ever left the cult has written about their main religious belief — The Principle of Plural Marriage — and the abuse that it engenders. It’s vitally important in the FLDS culture for a man to have at least a Quorum of wives (3 is the minimum) in order to enjoy the benefits of the heavenly kingdom; he really needs at least seven wives to be considered an important member of the priesthood and the community.

As for that kiss in the photo possibly being anything other than a wedding kiss? A man in FLDS can have physical contact with a female only if they are married. Period.

Judge Walther acknowledged that she’d been criticized for not allowing enough evidence to be let in during the initial hearing in April. With the Appellate Court’s decision hanging over her head, she has announced, “We’re going to have a full blown adversarial hearing. If it takes two to three days, we’re going to do it.”

I have a feeling this case is far from over yet.

The Department of Family and Protective Services appealed to the Texas Supreme Court today, bluntly stating that “this case is about adult men commanding sex from underage children; about adult women knowlingly condoning and allowing sexual abuse of underage children.” They asked the Supreme Court of Texas to intervene.

Their petition is nearly 27 pages long and is chock full of fascinating facts: how the mothers refused to identify themselves, and just exactly how many underage girls, pregnant or with babies, they had found. They could establish that girls as young as thirteen were pregnant, proving that men must have sexually abused them at least nine months before. Some FLDS members stated that when a girl begins her period, she is ready for marriage.

The Department’s petition to the Texas Supreme Court said that the appellate court improperly reviewed the evidence of the trial court. The appeals court’s role was simply to determine whether or not a lower court abused its discretion, not to look over the evidence and second-guess the lower court’s decision. The appeals court ruling was highly unusual in that it granted relief in a case that had not yet been decided.

Stay tuned for more developments early next week!