Polygamy in West requires inquiry, Nevadan says
 Reid urges creation of federal task force
 
By Tina Reed
Stephens Washington Bureau
Las Vegas Review-Journal
 
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Tuesday urged creation of a federal task force to investigate polygamy in the Western states, a practice he equated to "child abuse and human servitude."

Reid called on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to be prepared to press charges against polygamist Warren Jeffs if he escapes conviction on charges pending in Utah and Arizona.

"There is a substantial federal interest in preventing the systematic child abuse involved in this modern-day polygamy movement," Reid, a member of the Mormon church, said in a letter sent to Gonzales.

Reid said the fundamentalist sect led by Jeffs had been disavowed by the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members.

"For too long, this outrageous activity has been masked in the guise of religious freedom. But child abuse and human servitude have nothing to do with religious freedom and must not be tolerated," Reid said.

Reid's request followed the arrest of Jeffs just outside of Las Vegas more than two weeks ago.

The 50-year-old, accused of arranging a "spiritual" marriage between an underage girl and an older man, is charged in Washington County, Utah, with felony counts of rape as an accomplice. He faces additional charges in Arizona.

He had been on the FBI's Most Wanted list since May because of his flight from prosecution.

"Forced marriages between teenage girls and older men are prevalent in the isolated communities in which these individuals reside, and interstate travel is frequent," Reid said.

Jeffs is president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a sect that believes in polygamy.

He was arrested Aug. 28 on Interstate 15 during a traffic stop. Police found large sums of money, more than a dozen cell phones, three wigs and thousands of dollars in gift cards in his vehicle.

The Mormon church, through spokesman Michael Purdy, declined to comment on Reid's letter or its views of a possible federal task force on polygamy.

"The prosecution of polygamous groups is a matter for state and federal authorities," Purdy said.

"The church's condemnation of the abuse of children -- in or out of such communities -- is unequivocal and well-known."

Reid's call for federal involvement was unrelated to his church membership, spokesman Jon Summers said in an e-mail.

"Senator Reid made these requests because they are important steps to take to prevent cases of child abuse and human servitude," Summers said.
 
reviewjournal.com
Originally published September 13, 2006
 
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