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  Polygamist Must Register As Sex Offender

By Jim Seckler
Daily News [Utah]
April 22, 2007

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2007/04/23/news/local/local2.txt

Kingman — The only issue a Mohave County Superior Court judge faced Friday was whether to order a Colorado City polygamist to register as a sex offender.

Vergel Bryce Jessop, 47, pleaded no contest Dec. 18 to child abuse. He had been charged with sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.

Jessop and seven other codefendants belong to a polygamist sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Colorado City.

Per the plea agreement, Judge Steven Conn sentenced Jessop to three years supervised probation with no additional jail time. The only question was whether Conn would order Jessop to register as a sex offender.

Jessop's attorney, Bruce Griffen, argued his client was not a sexual deviant, that he was a loving family man who was obeying his religion. After seeing a copy of People magazine, Jessop even thought that the magazine was pornographic.

Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith argued that Jessop could repeat his action of marrying an underage bride if the church prophet tells him to do so.

Smith also suggested at the very least ordering Jessop, an employee for the Colorado City parks department, to register as a sex offender for as long as he was on probation.

Conn said he did not think Jessop or any of the other polygamists was a threat to a child being abducted or raped in another city but agreed that Jessop, who pleaded guilty to child abuse, should register with the sheriff's office as a sex offender for the three years he is on probation.

Conn also said the court cases involving Jessop and seven other codefendants are not an attack on the polygamist lifestyle, but are about having sex with an underage girl.

Rodney Holm, the last of the eight codefendants whose case is still unresolved, is set for trial May 15. Holm, 40, a former Colorado City police officer, is charged with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Dale Evans Barlow, 49, recently pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.

He was also charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor but that charge was dismissed.

Conn will sentence Barlow June 15 to supervised probation for up to three years and a possible sentence of up to one year in county jail.

Charges against Randolph J. Barlow were dismissed in February when the victim refused to testify against him. Barlow, 33, was charged with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

David Romaine Bateman, 49, was convicted in October of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to nine months in state prison and must also register as a sex offender.

Kelly Fischer, 39, was convicted in July of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail, probation and must also register as a sex offender.

In September, a Mohave County jury acquitted Donald Robert Barlow, 50, of one count of sexual conduct with a minor.

Charges against Terry Darger Barlow, 25, were dropped in October. He was charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.

 
 

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