Buster Johnson, Mohave County, AZ Supervisor On State Ignored Polygabuse
MOHAVE COUNTY BOARD of SUPERVISORS
BUSTER D. JOHNSON
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 3
April 30, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
The State of Texas has responded to the call for help from inside the polygamist compound in El Dorado. Whether the call
was legitimate or not the abuses they have found are real. The media is acting as if this is some new phenomenon. For
over a decade I have attempted to get local, state and federal authorities to take these abuses seriously. There has
been a small dedicated group I have worked with these years who have continued to fight for the rights of the abused
women and children. Ignoring physical, personal and financial attacks, they have continued to fight.
At every level of government we have been ignored and have had our credibility challenged. The latest information out of
Texas is that 31 out of 53 under aged girls are pregnant or have had children. That is 58%. They are not telling us if
the other 42% have been sexually abused but with numbers like these I believe some have. Now with these kinds of numbers
what do you think the numbers are in Colorado City where these people moved from?
In the past I have called for the Federal Government to step in and put an end to these abuses. Once again I am asking
them to do the job that needs to be done in our County. We have had under aged girls being transported across state
lines and our international borders for sexual acts. In Mohave County these abusers have not been prosecuted because our
prosecutor's state that the rape took place in another jurisdiction. The abusers state that they had sex with the minor
in Utah or Nevada, not Arizona and they walk out of the court system to continue their rape of children. Why have
prosecutor's ignored our pleas and the pleas of the victims and not sought federal indictments?
I would not be surprised nor would I blame these victims if they sued Mohave County and the State of Arizona for not
protecting them. What could be the defense for ignoring the cries of these children?
When the cult opened up their Yearning for Zion compound in Texas, I went with Flora Jessop to meet with law
enforcement, local officials and concerned citizens in El Dorado. The impression I got was that they were concerned and
would "live and let live". Hard to blame them when only two people out of our great state are telling them of the
atrocities taking place in the name of "god".
There is a forum being held in St. George, Utah May 8-9. The attorneys general from Arizona and Utah are participating.
My understanding is that the main focus is going to be to try and push for the decriminalization of polygamy. The
polygamists are also sitting on the panel. It is past time for Arizona to do the right thing. Sitting on panels with
those who are violating the law is a slap in the face to the children who have been abused and will continued to be
abuse because of inaction and apathy by elected officials.
ENDS