Abuse Inquiries and Response Policies

Warren Jeffs Aggravated Sexual Assault Conviction

Investigative Report

The 2011 Texas criminal conviction of Warren Steed Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of sexual assault of a child, arising from his taking two underage girls as spiritual wives at the FLDS Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas. A jury in the 51st District Court of Schleicher County convicted him and assessed life imprisonment on the first count and twenty years on the second. His appeal (No. 03-11-00568-CR) was dismissed for want of prosecution in 2012, leaving the conviction and sentence undisturbed. Seven other FLDS members were separately convicted of child sexual assault in the same investigation, with sentences from six to 75 years.

Facts

Inquiry Profile

Kind of Record

Investigative Report 1

Jurisdiction

United States (51st Judicial District Court, Schleicher County, Texas; appeal at the Court of Appeals of Texas, Third District, Austin) 2

Commissioned By

State of Texas (51st Judicial District Attorney's Office, Schleicher County, with the Texas Attorney General's Office and Texas Rangers) 1

Publication Year

2011 1

Period Covered, From

2005 to 2006 3

Documented Findings

Accused Documented

1 1

Victim Estimate

2 3

Key Finding

Convicted on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child (life imprisonment) and one count of sexual assault of a child (20 years). His appeal was dismissed for want of prosecution in 2012, the trial court's conviction and sentence left standing. 2

Connections