The Polygamist leader, Warren Jeffs, 55, was just sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for sexually assaulting an underage girl he took as a bride.
He was given a life sentence for having sex with a 12-year-old girl that he took as one of his many brides. He was also given a 20-year sentence for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl that he took as one of his wives. During the trial, DNA evidence proved that he father a child with one of the underage girls.
The jury reportedly deliberated less than half an hour before slapping Jeffs with the maximum sentence. What didn’t help Jeff’s case was that during the trial, the jury heard an audio of him allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old.
Jeffs is the head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and became the leader when his father died almost a decade ago. Jeffs taught that a church member should have at least three wives in order to get into heaven, and the more wives, the closer he is to heaven. Jeffs has an estimated 70 wives or more and his church deemed the unions a “spiritual marriage.”
Back in 2007, Jeffs resigned as president of the FLDS Church through a statement.
“Mr. Jeffs resigned as President of the Corporation of the President of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Inc,” the statement read.
With the Associated Press
