Warren Jeffs' son opens up about secretive polygamous sect

[inanna]

Source: Associated Press

Oct. 2, 2015 10:04 PM ET

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A son of jailed polygamous leader Warren Jeffs describes how he was manipulated, shuffled around the country and assigned to work crews to atone for his perceived transgressions before leaving the sect last year.

The comments by Roy Jeffs, now 23, provide a window into the secretive sect based on the Utah-Arizona border in which cellphones, toys, movies, bicycles and even swimming lessons were strictly forbidden. He said Warren Jeffs imposed his control over followers by reassigning children and wives to different men, sending people to "houses of hiding" and wielding the constant threat of exile.

<snip>

Roy Jeffs usually landed in trouble because of the confessional letters he would send the man he still calls Father. Warren Jeffs, considered a prophet, ordered his young son to confess his thoughts, temptations and sins to preserve his place in the faith and avoid going to hell.

Among the things he wrote about was his attraction to girls, some of whom were his father's child brides who were younger than Roy Jeffs.

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[Warpy]

1. Poor guy. It's going to take a lifetime to heal from growing up with a monster

like Jeffs for a father. I hope Warren Jeffs never sets foot outside prison, ever again.

[lunatica]

2. Prison for him is the best thing that has happened to his family

They're left having to deal with his crimes on them, but at least they don't have to fear what he'll do anymore.

People in authority who are sick pedophiles do so much more damage than people know. It'll take his family, his children, his wives the rest of their lives to deal with his crimes. I hope they find peace and self acceptance and can choose freely how to live their lives.

[Warpy]

4. But they do still have to worry

He's still controlling them from prison.

[lunatica]

5. He's sure not sexually raping them from his prison cell.

And that's a huge form of control he no longer has. His power is much diminished because there aren't many other criminals who would give him that control if they could get control themselves.

My point is that his current control is basically toothless and that's all his victims have to realize in their minds. It will be a slow process, but only a total victim wannabe will not question his parental and husbanding tactics. People that are as bad and egotistical and who can, at the same time, impose their will the way he did are not that easy to replace. Especially when he got rid of any who might be a threat to him.

[Dont call me Shirley]

6. He can continue to emotionally rape from prison.

[lunatica]

8. He doesn't have to

They will live with it for the rest of their lives.

[Dont call me Shirley]

9. So true, lunatica. They can heal from it though with determination and effort.

[WestSeattle2]

3. Can't imagine what it would be like to have your world

turned absolutely upside down. To discover that the people you trust the most, have deceived you your entire life. It will take years to recover, and I suspect he'll never fully trust another human being again. Very sad way to live.

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. Brave kid.