Warren Jeffs charged
 
By Ben Winslow
Deseret Morning News
 
Washington County prosecutors have filed a pair of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice charges against Warren Jeffs, the fugitive leader of the Fundamentalist LDS Church.

The charges were filed late Wednesday in St. George's 5th District Court. The Washington County Attorney declined to comment on the charges until a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

According to an arrest warrant and an affidavit obtained by the Deseret Morning News, the Washington County Sheriff's Office began investigating Jeffs, who is also wanted on sexual misconduct charges in Arizona, from January to March 2006 for arranging a "spiritual" marriage. The FLDS Church practices polygamy, but the court documents do not explicitly state if the marriage was polygamous.

A woman known only in court papers as "Jane Doe IV" claims that when she was between 14 to 18-years-old, religious leaders in the FLDS Church told her that God revealed she was to enter into a spiritual marriage with a man — known in court papers as "John Doe IV" — more than three years her age. The documents did not specify the ages of either party.

The court papers say Jane met with Warren Jeffs and expressed concerns.

"She felt like she was too young to marry," deputies wrote in the affidavit. "Jeffs told Jane that it was her spiritual duty to submit to the marriage and that the marriage arrangement was 'from God.' "

Jane married her husband in a ceremony performed in Nevada.

"After the ceremony, Jeffs instructed Jane and John to 'multiply and replenish the earth and raise the children in the priesthood,' " the affidavit says.

After having sex with her husband, deputies said that Jane went back to Warren Jeffs and told him she wanted out of the marriage. She said she hated having "husband-wife" relations with him, the court papers say.

"In response to Jane's concerns, Jeffs told Jane that she must remain in the spiritual marriage. Jeffs said that she must do whatever John told her to do because John was Jane's priesthood head and leader," the affidavit says. "Jeffs said, 'Go back and repent. You go give yourself mind, body, and soul to your husband like you're supposed to. He will take you into the heavenly kingdom. Go back and do what he tells you to do.' "

Jane continued to complain about her marriage to Jeffs, who told her she would grow to love her husband in time. He encouraged her to have children, because "having a baby would change everything."

"At another meeting, Jeffs told Jane 'No matter what happens you cannot fight with the priesthood because if you do you'll lose your salvation.' Jeffs remarks frightened Jane and she stayed in the marriage to secure her salvation," the deputy wrote.

A $500,000 cash-only arrest warrant was issued for Jeffs, who remains a fugitive on the FBI's Most Wanted List.

The warrant, obtained by the Deseret Morning News, said that Jeffs is likely to have "safe houses" in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, South Dakota and Canada.

"Members of the FLDS community have told investigators that Jeffs 'will not be subject to earthly courts,' that he 'will not allow himself to be taken alive,' and that he 'will die as a martyr,'" a motion in support of the arrest warrant said. "Jeffs is known to travel with bodyguards and is considered by the FBI to be armed and dangerous."

In 2005, Jeffs was indicted by a grand jury in Mohave County, Ariz., on sexual misconduct charges related to performing child bride marriages.

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com
 
deseretnews.com
Originally published Thursday, April 6, 2006
 
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