Local woman speaks about Jeffs sentencing

Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison in a Texas courtroom for sexually assaulting two underaged followers he took as brides. He received the maximum sentence on both counts.

Palmer said she knew Jeffs before his fast rise to power. In those times, there were underage marriages.

Buh she says it's now worse.

“Since Warren Jeffs there’s been some of the most horrendous cases of rape of children and trading female children back and forth across the border,” she said.

It was Jeffs’ response to the sentencing that concerns Palmer about how useful putting him in prison will actually be, she said.

He stood in the courtroom and “said, ‘I am at peace,’” she said.

“That quote and image of him … they will take that and they’ll use it to prove that their prophet was prosecuted by the evil outside world,” Palmer said.

People will weep and become more determined to do what Jeffs tells them and do what they can to support him, she said.

“It’s really devastating to me that there doesn’t seem to be a way to stop him even though he is in prison,” Palmer said.

Getting people to come forward and talk about their experiences is very difficult, even to stop leaders of the sect, she said.

“Of course it was impossible, because there was so much terror and fear, that he managed to instill in people,” she said.

news@panow.com

by Angela Hill

Local woman speaks about Jeffs sentencing

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