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David Stanley Ford

Polygamist sect member guilty of sex assault

By The Associated Press    Comments Comment on this article1
Published: November 6, 2009

ELDORADO, Texas — The first polygamist sect member to face criminal trial following the raid at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in West Texas last year was convicted Thursday in the sexual assault of a child.

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Jurors took a little more than two hours to convict Raymond Jessop, 38, of sexually assaulting a teen with whom he had a so-called "spiritual marriage.”

Jessop allegedly has nine wives. He faces a bigamy charge, but that case is to be tried later.

The girl in the assault case, now 21, previously was in a "spiritual marriage” with Jessop’s brother before being "reassigned” to Jessop when she was 15, according to documents. She became pregnant at age 16.

Jessop, who had been free on bond during the trial, was immediately handcuffed and led across the Schleicher County Courthouse square to the jail after his conviction. Jurors were expected to return to court Monday to begin deciding what his sentence would be.

He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Lawyers in the case declined to comment on the verdict Thursday.

Jessop’s attorneys had argued that no witness placed Jessop in Schleicher County at the time of the alleged assault.

About the church
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.

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David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: Culture and Lifestyle, Relationships, Marriage, Crime, Religion, Christianity, Trials, Criminal Trials, Sexual Offenses, Criminal Assault


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These men use this religion has front for what society has determined to be illegal. They have organized a religon for men to have sex with as many women as a man can afford and at any age. It is amazing that so many of these groups exisit in the US.
michael, trophy Club - Nov 6, 2009 at 7:55 am

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