PHOENIX (AP) — Members of a small polygamous group accused of child sex abuse of underage girls whom the group’s leader claimed as brides were arraigned in federal court on Friday.
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C6=:8:@?\2CC6DED\2C:K@?2\7=28DE277\fbee45ed2775g_fe2467f7762_332e65Qm$2> q2E6>2?k^2m 2?5 E96 E9C66 H@>6? 7@==@H6CD[ H9@ 2C6 6249 C6AC6D6?E65 3J 5:776C6?E 2EE@C?6JD[ 6?E6C65 ?@E 8F:=EJ A=62D :? 2 5@H?E@H? !9@6?:I 4@FCEC@@>] %96J 2=D@ H2:G65 92G:?8 E96 492C86D C625 E@ E96>] }@?6 @7 E96> DA@<6]k^Am
kAmp== 7@FC H6C6 2CC6DE65 =2DE J62C 2?5 492C865 H:E9 <:5?2AA:?8 2?5 :>A65:?8 2 7656C2= :?G6DE:82E:@?] !C@D64FE@CD 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 6IA2?565 E96 8C@FAVD 492C86D]k^Am
kAm}@H `` >6>36CD @7 q2E6>2?’D 8C@FA 7246 d` 76=@?J 4@F?ED 7@C EC2?DA@CE:?8 49:=5C6? 24C@DD DE2E6 =:?6D E@ 724:=:E2E6 D6IF2= 24E:G:EJ[ C64@C5:?8 :E[ 56DEC@J:?8 6G:56?46 2?5 H:E?6DD E2>A6C:?8]k^Am
kAm%H@ H@>6?[ :?4=F5:?8 @?6 H:E9 2 323J :? 2 42CC:6C[ D2E :? E96 82==6CJ] %96J 564=:?65 E@ 8:G6 E96:C ?2>6D 3FE D2:5 E96J H6C6 E96C6 E@ DFAA@CE 2== 7@FC 5676?52?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FAVD 2AA62C2?46 :? 4@FCE :D E96 =2E6DE 56G6=@A>6?E :? 2 DAC2H=:?8 7656C2= :?G6DE:82E:@? DA2??:?8 2E =62DE 7:G6 DE2E6D E92E 3642>6 AF3=:4 =2DE 72== 27E6C 2FE9@C:E:6D C2:565 q2E6>2?VD 4@>A@F?5 :? r@=@C25@ r:EJ[ pC:K@?2] %96 D:E6 H2D =@?8 9@>6 E@ E96 uF?52>6?E2=:DE r9FC49 @7 y6DFD r9C:DE @7 {2EE6C\s2J $2:?ED[ <?@H? 3J :ED 24C@?J> u{s$]k^Am
kAmr@=@C25@ r:EJ 2?5 w:=52=6 — 2? 25;@:?:?8 E@H? 24C@DD E96 &E29 3@C56C — 92G6 492?865 5C2>2E:42==J D:?46 E96 8C@FAVD AC@A96E[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^H2CC6?\;677DQm(2CC6? y677Dk^2m[ H2D 2CC6DE65 >@C6 E92? 2 564256 28@] qFE E96 42D6 282:?DE q2E6>2? D6CG6D 2D 2 C6>:?56C E92E :ED =6824J C6>2:?D 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@ 6G@=G6]k^Am
kAmx? 4@FCE 7:=:?8D[ :?G6DE:82E@CD 92G6 2==6865 E92E q2E6>2?[ cf[ A6CDF2565 7@==@H6CD E@ 3C62< @77 7C@> E96 u{s$ r9FC49[ 4@?G:?4:?8 E96> E92E 96 H2D 2 AC@A96E H9@ DF4466565 y677D 2?5 H2D “5@:?8 ‘&?4=6 (2CC6?’D’ H:==]”k^Am
kAmq2E6>2? 92D 366? 244FD65 @7 E2<:?8 2E =62DE a_ H:G6D[ :?4=F5:?8 >2?J >:?@CD 2D J@F?8 2D g 2?5 h J62CD @=5] qFE 492C86D 92G6 >@DE=J A6CE2:?65 E@ E96 564:D:@? 3J 9:> 2?5 9:D 25F=E 7@==@H6CD E@ E2<6 E96 >:?@CD 24C@DD DE2E6 =:?6D — :?4=F5:?8 2E @?6 A@:?E 3C62<:?8 E96> @FE @7 pC:K@?2 7@DE6C 42C6 — 2?5 :>A65:?8 E96 :?G6DE:82E:@?]k^Am
kAmp 42== E@ @?6 @7 q2E6>2?’D =2HJ6CD D66<:?8 4@>>6?E H2D ?@E C6EFC?65 %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAm%96 u{s$[ 7C@> H9:49 q2E6>2? @C:8:?2E65[ :D :ED6=7 2 3C62<2H2J D64E @7 %96 r9FC49 @7 y6DFD r9C:DE @7 {2EE6C\52J $2:?ED[ H:56=J <?@H? 2D E96 |@C>@? r9FC49] !@=J82>J :D 2 =6824J @7 E96 62C=J E6249:?8D @7 E96 >2:?DEC62> 49FC49[ 3FE :E 232?5@?65 E96 AC24E:46 :? `gh_ 2?5 ?@H DEC:4E=J AC@9:3:ED :E]k^Am
kAmp? :?5:4E>6?E AF3=:D965 62C=:6C :? |2J D2JD q2E6>2? EC2G6=65 6IE6?D:G6=J 36EH66? pC:K@?2[ &E29[ r@=@C25@ 2?5 }63C2D<2 2?5 2==6865=J 925 D6I H:E9 E96 >:?@C 8:C=D @? 2 C68F=2C 32D:D] xE 2=D@ 492C86D q2E6>2? H:E9 C64@C5:?8 D@>6 @7 E96 D6IF2= 24E:G:EJ[ 2==68:?8 D@>6 :>286D >2J 92G6 366? EC2?D>:EE65 24C@DD DE2E6 =:?6D G:2 6=64EC@?:4 56G:46D]k^Am
kAm#6=J:?8 @? ;@FC?2=D[ 52J A=2??6CD 2?5 E6IE >6DD286D[ :E D2JD q2E6>2? :?:E:2E65 D6IF2= 6?4@F?E6CD H:E9 8C@FAD @7 7@==@H6CD :? 9@E6= C@@>D[ :?4=F5:?8 @?6 E92E 3682? H:E9 2 C6=:8:@FD C:E6\:?DA:C65 “H2D9:?8 @7 E96 766E]” p 8:C=[ H9@ E96 :?5:4E>6?E 56D4C:36D 2D h @C `_ J62CD @=5[ 42==65 E96 D6IF2= 6?4@F?E6CD “567:?:E6=J E6CC:7J:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 :?5:4E>6?E 2=D@ 4=2:>D D6G6C2= >2=6 2?5 76>2=6 7@==@H6CD 56?:65 E96 2==682E:@?D @7 23FD6[ :?4=F5:?8 @7 E96:C @H? 49:=5C6?[ H96? :?E6CG:6H65 3J E96 pC:K@?2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r9:=5 $276EJ]k^Am
kAmq2E6>2? H2D 2CC6DE65 =2DE J62C 2?5 C6>2:?D :? 7656C2= 4FDE@5J A6?5:?8 9:D EC:2=[ H9:49 :D D4965F=65 7@C |2C49 d[ a_ac] w6 AC6G:@FD=J A=62565 ?@E 8F:=EJ E@ DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 492C86D 244FD:?8 9:> @7 <:5?2AA:?8[ 49:=5 23FD6 2?5 E2>A6C:?8 H:E9 6G:56?46]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm|6EK C6A@CE65 7C@> $2=E {2<6 r:EJ]k^Am
Get Unlimited Access
$3 for 3 Months
Subscribe Now
Support local journalism reporting on your community
* New Subscribers Only
* Digital Subscription Only
After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $12.00 per month.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.