FLDS Leader Sentenced To Ten Years In Prison By Texas Jury

As previously reported, last week a jury in a state court in Texas convicted FLDS Church leader Raymond Jessop of sexually assaulting a 16-year old who he had taken as one of his nine wives. A hearing on sentencing was held on Monday, and yesterday, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, the jury deliberated for six hours before imposing a sentence of ten years in prison and an $8000 fine on Jessop. He will be eligible to be considered for parole after five years. the state had asked the jury to impose a 20 year sentence, while Jessop argued for probation. An FLDS spokesman called the sentence an example of a religious war against FLDS and said the sentencing will now permit an appeal to challenge the entire basis of the state's investigation of the sect's Yearning for Zion Ranch.