William Roy Jessop is a former leader and spokesman for the

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) is a religious sect of the fundamentalist Mormon denominations whose members practice polygamy. The fundamentalist Mormon movement emerged in the early 20th century, ...

(FLDS Church). Jessop should not be confused with

William E. Jessop William Edson Jessop (born William Edson Timpson) is a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement. In a January 2007 telephone conversation between Jessop and church president Warren Jeffs, Jeffs suggested that Jessop was the rightful leader of t ...

, the person Warren Jeffs designated as his successor to the presidency of the FLDS Church. Jessop was a

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

during the tenure of FLDS Church president Warren Jeffs. After Jeffs' arrest and the April 2008 raids on the church's

YFZ Ranch The YFZ Ranch, or Yearning for Zion Ranch, was a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) community of as many as 700 people, located near Eldorado in Schleicher County, Texas, United States. In April 2014, the State o ...

near

Eldorado, Texas Eldorado ( , -) is a city in and the county seat of Schleicher County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,951 at the 2010 census. Eldorado is located on U.S. Highway 277 some north of Sonora and south of San Angelo, Texas. Geograph ...

, Jessop became a frequent spokesman for the FLDS Church. In May 2008, Jessop wrote an open letter to United States president

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, requesting that he intervene against the removal of children from FLDS Church families. In a January 2009 deposition, Jessop refused to answer 110 questions put to him on the grounds that doing so would violate his Fifth Amendment rights under the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

. In February 2011, Jessop left the church and in April denounced Jeffs. After leaving the church, Jessop continues to live in

Hildale, Utah Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,127 at the 2020 census. Hildale is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. History Hildale, formerly known as Short Creek Community, was founded in 1913 by ...

. In October, a 25-year-old wife of Jeffs fleeing the church sought refuge in his house before being removed by law enforcement."Authorities help woman leave polygamous sect in Texas"

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, 2011-10-12 Jessop has been nicknamed "Willie the Thug", "Fat Willie", "Willie Doughnuts" and "King Willie" by disaffected FLDS Church members. He has been described by police as having "a passion for violence, weapons (legal and illegal) and explosives" and has been said to be "the most serious threat affiliated with the FLDS religion"."Washington County sends dossiers of select FLDS members to Texas officials"
''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'', 2008-06-11. Police have also suggested that Jessop attempted to intimidate witnesses during Warren Jeffs' 2007 trial. Willie Jessop's reversal and denouncement of Warren Jeffs occurred after he discovered incriminating evidence (documents and audio recordings) that proved Jeffs was guilty of crimes he had been charged with and subsequently found guilty of in 2011 (namely accessory to rape and rape of minors). Jessop was shocked and disgusted to discover that the prophet he had been protecting had in fact been using his status to facilitate group sex with young girls. Jessop received further confirmation after interviewing some of Jeffs wives. After publicly denouncing Warren Jeffs in 2011, Willie Jessop was subject to discrimination, harassment and burglary by FLDS members and sect leaders. He later won a lawsuit against them in court. In March 2015, he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to reveal the truth in his change of allegiance, as well as open up about the aftermath that followed.

Notes

References

*John Quinones and Harry Phillips
"Willie Jessop: Purported Frontman at Texas Polygamy Compound"

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, 2008-04-18 {{DEFAULTSORT:Jessop, Willie American Latter Day Saint leaders Bodyguards Former members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Mormon fundamentalist leaders Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Washington County, Utah "Jessop, who once defended Warren Jeffs, talks to Oprah again," by Nate Carlisle, published on 20 March 2015 in the Salt Lake Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/home/2314512-155/willie-jessop-who-once-defended-warren)