Jeffs Transferred to Utah to Face Felony Sex Abuse Charges

Jeffs Transferred to Utah to Face Felony Sex Abuse Charges


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Amanda Butterfield Reporting He's accused of forcing teenage girls into polygamous marriages with older men. Today Warren Jeffs was brought back to Utah under tight security. Some people say Jeffs' followers are waiting to make their move.

Joni Holm: "I believe there's martyrs, those that will go in and try to get him out."

Never before in Washington County has a prisoner been transported by helicopter, but authorities are not taking any chances with Warren Jeffs.

We spoke with a woman whose family members follow Warren Jeffs. She agrees with the risk- factor. Warren Jeffs' followers are obedient and to some it would be considered an honor to give their life to defend their prophet. According to Joni Holm, that's exactly what some of them have been called to do.

Joni Holm: "They will turn their back on their children, give every penny they had. Yes, there are some that would give their lives to try and break him out of jail."

And law enforcement would agree. That's why they used a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter to transport Jeffs to Purgatory jail this afternoon. It's something they've never done before, but never before have they transported a man whom some call prophet.

Kirk Smith, Washington County Sheriff: "Our job in law enforcement is worst case scenario. That's what we sit around and worry about all the time and we don't want to have happen, so we want to be prepared."

Joni Holm has family who follows Warren Jeffs. Her husband used to be a member; in fact, one of her sisters-in-law is a wife of Jeffs. She predicts Jeffs has called some of his followers, even the young ones, to defend him.

Joni Holm: "Then you've got young boys, the army of Helaman, who would actually go through and martyr for him."

And it's not just his followers who would do this.

Joni Holm: "Then you have those that are trying to get back in good graces and would do whatever it took to get back in good graces."

But how much of Jeffs' criminal troubles does his flock even know about? Not a lot. Joni is fostering a "lost boy" -- a 14 year old kicked out of his house by Jeffs' people, who says they knew little to nothing about their Prophet's legal problems.

Lost Boy: "They have no newspapers, only glance at it. They have no news, nothing like that."

Joni Holm: "I think they're confused, I don't think the low people of the community know what's gone on with Warren Jeffs."

But what they do know, is that they believe in this man. Jeffs has prophesied that he will die in jail, a martyr.

Jeffs will make a court appearance at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon via closed circuit TV. We've learned that Jeffs has hired a high profile attorney out of Las Vegas to defend him.

Sheriff Smith says there have not been any threats to bust Jeffs out of jail, but he's taking precautions because bad things can happen.

Kirk Smith, Washington County Sheriff: "Anytime we take an inmate and take him out of a facility and move him anywhere, that if he's got a friend or a family member, and how many of us remember Ronnie Lee Gardner in Salt Lake City, there are opportunities for things to happen."

Ronnie Lee Gardner is a convicted murderer who had a court date at the old Metropolitan Hall of Justice in April, 1985. Lee's girlfriend slipped him a gun and he went on a shooting spree, killing a court bailiff and an attorney before he was shot and captured.

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