Merril Leroy Jessop, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, got what he deserved.
Jessop was convicted Wednesday on allegations that he illegally married and fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl while living at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Schleicher County in 2006.
He was sentenced to 75 years in prison and has to pay a $10,000 fine for sexual assault of a child.
in addition to impregnating an underage girl, he also lied about it — saying she was 18 when she wasn’t — and really doesn’t seem to think he did anything wrong.
Religion gave him a cover for his criminal actions, but the jury didn’t let him get away with it. They need to be applauded for that.
As reader Ron points out, despite the lunacy happening with the Texas State Board of Education, we ought to give some credit to “twelve rational minded folks in West Texas for giving this moron 75 years.”