5 from polygamist sect arraigned
Texas ? Five men from a West Texas polygamist sect were arraigned on Tuesday, the day after they surrendered to charges related to the sexual assault and “spiritual” marriage of underage girls.
A sixth suspect, sect prophet Warren Jeffs, is in jail in Arizona, but could be extradited to Texas to face his sexual assault charge.
Jeffs and four other men – Merril Leroy Jessop, 33; Raymond Jessop, 36; Michael Emack, 57; and Allan Keate, 56, – were charged with first-degree felony sexual assault of a child, a crime punishable by five years to life in prison. The younger Jessop is also charged with first-degree felony bigamy, which means one of his alleged wives is younger than 16. At least three of the other men, including Jeffs, are believed to have taken underage wives.
Dr. Lloyd Barlow, a 38-year-old doctor whose indictment indicates he delivered the babies of underage mothers on the Yearning For Zion ranch, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of failing to report child abuse.







