Did Warren Jeffs Order Impregnation of All Women and Girls?

By Ladd Egan(KUTV) Polygamous watchdog groups are concerned about a disturbing order allegedly issued by imprisoned leader Warren Jeffs that all women and girls over age 12 in his fundamentalist sect are to become pregnant. Talk of the plan has spread through the polygamous border towns of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah. The area is headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.Jeffs, 57, is serving a life sentence in Texas on convictions of sexually assaulting two underage girls. From behind prison bars, Jeffs still controls his FLDS followers through messages and even phone calls. Residents say the purported pregnancy plan calls for a small group of men to father all of the children. It won t be by their husbands or by any kind of relationship that they know about, it will be by these three men, said Ross Chatwin, a former FLDS member who still lives in Colorado City. That s all that is deemed to be worthy enough. Rumors of the mass impregnation plot have reached the Utah Attorney General s Office, according to spokesperson Paul Murphy, who recently asked those dealing with the polygamous communities to be extra vigilant in their efforts to prevent child abuse. Because of the ultra-secretive nature of the FLDS church s leaders and followers, it s difficult to determine whether the plan is real and if it originated with Jeffs, Murphy explained.Former members of the FLDS church say they worry that if it is true, Jeffs faithful flock will allow the plan to happen. They obey without question; they blindly follow, Chatwin said. They will turn their daughters over at the door and say: Okay, here s my daughter, here s my daughter. Yes, she s going through puberty now. Yes, here she is. Here she is. Chatwin hopes law enforcement officers in Arizona and Utah monitor the situation and be prepared to take action to protect children. Once they have the evidence that this is going on and stop it in its tracks, he said. We don t want this to happen. Observers of the polygamous sect surmise the rumored plan could be a way for Jeffs to jumpstart growth among his followers after recent years of turmoil in which hundreds fled the church and sexual relations between husband and wives were banned.(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcasting Group)