According to a report from CNN, the head of a rogue Mormon church and two groups affiliated with him have been ordered to pay nearly $1 million in fines for using children as unpaid labor for years.
The fine comes after a Department of Labor complaint that accused Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints bishop Lyle Jeffs and his business partner Brian Jessop, of illegally hiring the children to work on a ranch.
CNN reports, "The decision comes after a 2012 video showed women and children working to harvest pecans at a farm in southern Utah," before adding, "U.S. District Court Judge Jill Parrish on Wednesday ordered Jeffs to pay $312,079.30 in back wages and $312,079.30 in damages, according to court documents. Another $281,336.32 in back wages were also ordered for Jeffs, Jessop and the church."
The report notes that the two did not keep records on hours worked and refused to respond to subpoenas.
"Consequently, there are no precise records reflecting the specific number of uncompensated hours worked by children for Defendants in violation of the child labor provisions of the (Fair Labor Standards Act)," the court documents say. "The children were part of the elusive, tight-knit, and very controlled FLDS polygamist enclave closely linked to Paragon [Contractors]."
The report goes on to point out that Jeffs is the brother of polygamist Warren Jeffs, who is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted of aggravated assault involving two girls ages 12 and 15.
You can read more here.
