Warren Jeffs, Other FLDS Members Charged

Quorum Report has posted Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott‘s statement on the felony charges against six FLDS members — including imprisoned former head Warren Jeffs — handed down today:

Earlier today the Schleicher County Grand Jury issued seven indictments containing nine counts of sexual assault, bigamy, and related charges against six individuals who are associated with the YFZ compound near Eldorado.

The six suspects facing indictments include Warren Jeffs, who was charged with sexually assaulting a child, a first-degree felony. Four additional suspects were indicted for sexually assaulting young girls under the age of 17. Each of those suspects faces one felony count of sexual assault and one of the suspects faces an additional charge of bigamy. Another defendant has been charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse.

The indictments issued today are part of an ongoing and continuing criminal investigation.

I want to thank the Texas Rangers who are the lead investigators in this case for their outstanding work. I want to thank the criminal investigators from my office who are actively involved in this criminal investigation. For months, dedicated men and women from our Cyber Crimes, Fugitive and Special Investigations Units have literally been living in San Angelo, commuting home to their families on weekends, in order to advance this case. I also want to thank Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran for his assistance with this matter.

Today’s charges reflect a cooperative effort between the Texas Attorney Generals Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers, 51st Judicial District Attorney Steve Lupton, and the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Richard B. Roper.

Because law enforcement authorities are still reviewing the arrest warrants issued today, further information about the indictments cannot be released at this time.

Read more from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.