Mormon Cult Leaders Charged With Organizing Sexual Rituals Involving Underage Girls

U.S. authorities have charged several leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) with organizing sexual rituals involving underage girls. The charges, filed in Salt Lake City, Utah, include allegations that girls aged eight to 14 were forced to participate in explicit sexual acts, which were recorded and shared within the church. The court documents describe the abuse as part of a ritualized practice that occurred multiple times a week.

The FLDS, an offshoot of the Mormon Church, continues to practice polygamy, a practice abandoned by the mainstream Mormon Church over a century ago. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the group as a white supremacist, antigovernment, totalitarian cult. The abuse came to light after one of the victims came forward, leading to the filing of the charges.

According to the court documents, the victims were subjected to threats of divine punishment if they disclosed the abuse. One defendant, Warren Jeffs, allegedly told a plaintiff that God would punish her if she cried during the rituals, suggesting that any pain she experienced was a sign of divine displeasure. The plaintiff, who began experiencing abuse at age eight, later served as a witness and scribe for the rituals at 14 and was subjected to further abuse in “ladies classes” at 16, which were designed to prepare her for marriage.

The court allegations suggest that sexual abuse of underage women has been a core aspect of the FLDS for decades. The practice is said to have originated within a religious organization known as Priesthood, from which the FLDS emerged. The abuse was reportedly conducted in secret, with victims being transported to undisclosed locations under the cover of darkness and instructed to respond only to numbers during the rituals.

The case highlights the ongoing legal and moral scrutiny faced by the FLDS, which has long been at the center of controversies related to its practices and leadership. The charges represent a significant step in addressing the alleged systemic abuse within the group, though the full extent of the organization’s practices remains under investigation.

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