ARIZONA
KSL
Nishi Gupta reporting
Terry Goddard, Attorney General of Arizona: “This is the first time in my knowledge that we've had a witness willing to step forward and say this is what happened to me, I was sexually abused."
Charges have been filed in Arizona against a polygamist leader, and Utah officials seem ready to help.
A sixteen-year-old girl told Arizona authorities she was raped by a 28 year- old-man a person she was forced to marry in her polygamous group.
The marriage was arranged by Warren Jeffs, the leader of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
State authorities have been keeping an eye on Warren Jeffs and the FLDS church for some time now. So when this girl came forward, Jeffs was charged with conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.
When Rowenna Erickson heard the news, she was thrilled. It was something she'd been waiting to see for 13 years.
Rowenna Erickson,Tapestry Against Polygamy: "Polygamy is one hundred percent sexual abuse. Not only are our children molested or raped, daily, but it's sexual abuse to a wife to have her husband having sex with all of these women. And of course they use religion as a guise to justify why they're doing it."
Posted by kshaw at June 12, 2005 06:50 AM