A Texas jury convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs of child sexual assault Thursday in a case stemming from two young followers he took as brides in what his church calls "spiritual marriages . "
convicted
texas jury convict polygamist sect leader warren jeffs child sexual assault thursday case stem young follower he take bride his church call "spiritual marriage
A Texas jury <m> convicted </m> polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs of child sexual assault Thursday in a case stemming from two young followers he took as brides in what his church calls "spiritual marriages . "
http : / / www . huffingtonpost . com / 2011 / 08 / 04 / warren - jeffs - polygamist - leader - convicted _ n _ 918915 . html
Warren Jeffs , Polygamist Leader , Convicted In Child Sexual Assault Case
First Posted : 08 / 04 / 11 06 : 44 PM ET Updated : 10 / 04 / 11 06 : 12 AM ET
A Texas jury <m> convicted </m> polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs of child sexual assault Thursday in a case stemming from two young followers he took as brides in what his church calls "spiritual marriages . "
The 55 - year - old head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints stood stone - faced as the verdict was read .
Jeffs , who acted as his own attorney , faces up to life in prison .
The jury went immediately into sentencing proceedings .
They had deliberated on a verdict for more than three hours .
Prosecutors used DNA evidence to show Jeffs fathered a child with a 15 - year - old girl and played an audio recording of what they said was him sexually assaulting a 12 - year - old girl .
They also played audio recordings in which Jeffs was heard instructing young women on how to please him sexually .
Jeffs has claimed he was the victim of religious persecution .
The FLDS , which has at least 10 , 000 members nationwide , is a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism .
The church believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven and that Jeffs is God's spokesman on earth .
Police had raided the group's remote West Texas ranch in April 2008 , finding women dressed in frontier - style dresses and hairdos from the 19th century as well as seeing underage girls who were clearly pregnant .
The call to an abuse hotline that spurred the raid turned out to be a hoax , and more than 400 children who had been placed in protective custody were eventually returned to their families .
But authorities brought charges against several men from the group , with Jeffs by far the highest - profile defendant .
Jeffs stood mute and expressionless , staring at the floor , for all but a few seconds of the half hour he was allotted for a closing argument on Thursday .
At one point he mumbled , "I am peace , " and said no more .
The only noise in the courtroom was the creaking of wooden benches brimming with spectators .
Prosecutors said the case had nothing to do with his church or his beliefs .
"You have heard the defendant make repeated arguments about religious freedoms , " said lead prosecutor Eric Nichols .
"Make no mistake , this case is not about any people , this case is not about any religion .
It is about one individual , Warren Steed Jeffs , and his actions . "
Prosecutors relied heavily on information found during the raid on the compound and after a traffic stop in Nevada in 2006 , when Jeffs was arrested .
Much of the material was discovered in a vault at the end of a secret passageway in the temple and another vault in an annex building .
"You might have asked yourselves , " Nichols said , "a lot of people may ask , why would someone record sex ? . . .
This individual considers himself to be the prophet .
Everything he did , hour after hour , he was required to keep a record of that . "
On one of the tapes played at the trial , Jeffs made a reference to "drawing close" or "being close , " which authorities testified is how church members refer to sex .
Two female voices said "OK . "
"A good wife is trained for her husband and follows the spirit of peace , " Jeffs was heard saying .
Another audio tape included Jeffs and the younger girl from a recording made in August 2006 at the Texas compound , according to testimony from Nick Hanna , a Texas Ranger involved in the 2008 raid .
Played in court , it was difficult to decipher , but Jeffs' and a female voice are heard .
He says , "I perform this service in the name of Jesus Christ , Amen , " then mentions the alleged victim by name .
When she says something , he responds , "don't talk while praying . "
Several minutes of heavy breathing followed .
The jury wore headphones to better hear the recording and also followed a transcript .
One female juror covered her face with her hand as she listened .
Jeffs represented himself after firing seven attorneys in the six months leading to the trial .
He broke his courtroom silence with an objection marked by a nearly hourlong speech defending polygamy , and twice threatened the judge and the court with warnings of punishment from God .
He refused to cross - examine the state's witnesses , and delayed giving an opening statement until he began presenting his own defense .
In that statement , he evoked images of the civil rights movement and mentioned former Mormon leader Joseph Smith Jr .
He also asked the jury to remember constitutional guarantees of religious freedom .
The lone defense witness Jeffs called , church elder JD Roundy , spent about 10 minutes on the stand Thursday discussing FLDS history after 4 . 5 hours of testimony Wednesday evening .
Jeffs failed three times to remove state District Judge Barbara Walther from the case , the last rejection coming even without a hearing .
He claimed Walther was biased because she issued the warrant for the original raid and was frequently updated as it progressed .
Eleven other FLDS men were charged with crimes including sexual assault and bigamy .
All seven of those who have been prosecuted were convicted , receiving prison sentences of between six and 75 years .