Congressman Trent Franks Comments on the Arrest of Warren Jeffs

Congressman Trent Franks Comments on the Arrest of Warren Jeffs

Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) applauds the efforts of law enforcement officials for today's successful arrest of the alleged criminal, Warren Jeffs. Mr. Jeffs has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List since May on suspicion of sexual misconduct against children in his role in a polygamist sect headquartered in Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona, which is situated in the district that Congressman Franks represents.

"There is nothing more abhorrent than harming children. Mr. Jeffs has been accused of flagrantly disregarding our laws at the expense of innocence of children and justifying his actions in the name of religion. It is my hope that this arrest will ultimately prevent many underage girls from losing their innocence and childhood to the twisted philosophy espoused my men like Mr. Jeffs."

This year, Congress, led by House Republicans, has enacted several pieces of legislation to bolster the safety of children across the country, including H.R. 4472, the Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006, which among other things, establishes tough 30-year mandatory minimum penalties for having sex with a child under 12, or sexually assaulting a child between 13 and 17. Congressman Franks was a cosponsor of H.R. 3132, the original child crime reduction bill that became H.R. 4472.

http://www.house.gov/list/press/az02_franks/jeffsarrest.html