A polygamist sect has been accused of only allowing elected “seed bearers” to have sex with women, according to a child custody petition filed by estranged wife of the group's day-to-day leader.
The custody petition, obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune, describes a group of followers called “seed bearers” in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a breakaway Mormon sect.
In the document, "seed bearers" are defined as “elect” men of a “worthy blood line chosen by the Priesthood to impregnate” women.
According to Charlene Jeffs, the estranged wife of Lyle Jeffs who now oversees the sect, a new doctrine means “FLDS men are no longer permitted to have children with their multiple wives".
"That privilege belongs to the seed bearer alone," the document says.
“It is the husband’s responsibility to hold the hands of their wives while the seed bearer 'spreads his seed’.
“In layman terms, the husband is required to sit in the room while the chosen seed bearer, or a couple of them, rape his wife or wives.
The FLDS, formerly led by Lyle Jeffs's brother, Warren Jeffs, gained global attention in 2006 when US authorities accused Warren Jeffs of sexual offences against girls he took as wives.
The sect’s large Texas ranch was raided by authorities in 2008, when police took more than 460 children from the property, including mothers who were under 18.
Warren Jeffs was convicted of “sexual assault” and “aggravated sexual assault” of two girls aged 12 and 15 in 2011. He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 20 years.
He is still believed to lead the sect from prison, Sam Bower a private investigator who has followed FLDS activities for 10 years told CNN, although his brother oversees its day-to-day activities.
Bower told CNN he could confirm similar reports of “seed bearers” through his own sources.
He said: “It’s ritualistic procreation performed on a ritualistic bed-slash-alter.”
Bower also claimed Warren Jeffs had withheld all relationships between husbands and wives.
“Any touching between spouses outside rituals like these, even a simple handshake, can now be considered adultery in the church,” he said.
According to CNN, Utah juvenile court records are not normally available to the public. It is therefore unknown whether any other documents were filed disputing Charlene Jeff’s allegations.
The judge at the custody hearing ruled that both Lyle Jeffs and Charlene Jeffs would share custody of their two teen children, with the children living with their mother, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.