| Teen bride's ex-husband denies rape allegation, says she initiated sex | |
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By Emanuella Grinberg Court TV | |
ST. GEORGE, Utah — The cousin of the teen bride at the center of the Warren Jeffs trial testified Wednesday that she initiated their first sexual encounter, contradicting the young woman's account that he raped her a few weeks after their arranged marriage, when she was 14 years old. Jeffs' defense rested after the testimony from Allen Steed, who waived his right against self-incrimination before taking the stand to deny he ever forced his young wife to submit to sex. Jeffs, 51, faces life in prison on two counts of rape as an accomplice for allegedly coercing the teen into marrying Steed and having sex with him against her will. Steed, a truck driver who recognizes Jeffs as the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has not been charged in connection with allegations. In emotional testimony last week, the alleged victim said Jeffs refused to "release" her from the arranged marriage, despite her protests that she was too young and was uncomfortable about sex. Steed testified before a packed courtroom Wednesday that he and his young wife struggled to "love each other" from the first days of their marriage and spent many nights sleeping in separate beds. About three weeks after their wedding in a Nevada hotel in a ceremony conducted by Jeffs, Steed said his wife initiated their first sexual encounter. "She rolled up close to me and asked me to scratch her back," Steed testified in a barely audible voice. "One thing led to the next until I was guiding myself on top of her." "Did you say anything to talk her into what happened?" defense lawyer Walter Bugden asked him. "No, sir," the witness answered. The prosecution was to present a rebuttal witness Wednesday afternoon, and closing arguments are set for Friday. | |
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CourtTV.com Originally published September 19, 2007 | |
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