Jeffs, Warren

Autor: Jeffs, Warren
Rok: 1955-

Biogr./Hist. údaje: Americký vůdce fundamentalistické církve.
Zdroj: Autoritní databáze Národní knihovny ČR

Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955) is the former President of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) and convicted felon currently serving a sentence of life plus 20 years. His prison term is the result of being convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault in 2011.Jeffs gained international notoriety in May 2006 when he was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on Utah state charges related to his alleged arrangement of illegal marriages between his adult male followers and underage girls. He was arrested in August 2006 in Nevada, and agreed to be taken to Utah for trial. In May and July 2007, Arizona charged him with eight additional counts in two separate cases, including incest and sexual conduct with minors.Beginning in early September 2007 in St. George, Jeffs' Utah trial lasted less than a month, and on September 25 he was convicted of two counts of rape as an accomplice. On November 20, 2007, Jeffs was sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years to life and began serving his sentence at the Utah State Prison. The conviction, however, was overturned by the Utah Supreme Court on July 27, 2010, due to incorrect jury instructions.Jeffs was extradited by Utah to Texas, where he was found guilty of sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault of children in connection with a raid of the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch in 2008. After the jury had deliberated for less than 30 minutes, Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years, to be served consecutively, and a $10,000 fine for sexual assault of both 12- and 15-year-old girls.