Prosecution to Rest Case Against Warren Jeffs After Hearing Graphic Sex Tapes

The prosecution is expected to rest its case on Wednesday in the sexual assault trial of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

On Tuesday, the jury heard a December 2004 recording of Jeffs instructing his plural wives on group sex and being comfortable nude. In the 90-minute recording, Jeffs teaches 12 of his plural wives on group sex, becoming comfortable nude, and how they should care for their body hair in what he called "training."

Among the group of 12 women was the 14-year-old girl whose parents brought her to Jeffs to be married. Records presented in court indicate that Jeffs, who was 48 at the time, unofficially "married" the 14-year-old and reportedly fathered her child.

Among the documents presented was a record of Jeffs' spiritual marriage "for time and all eternity" with the 14-year-old in January 2004. An excerpt from hundreds of pages of Jeffs' personal journals said the child was "pure and innocent and willing to obey." He summoned her parents and "informed them of their girl belonging to me."

Prosecutors also presented the tapes that they said show Jeffs offering "celestial marriage" instructions.

"The world's view of sexual relations is selfish; the celestial view is not," the voice on the tape says.

"You have to know how to be sexually excited and to help each other ... and you have to be ready for the time I need your comfort," a man's voice declares.

"This is your mission. This is how you abide the law."

"Take your clothes off. Do it right now," the man says, followed by sounds of crying.

"Just don't think about the pain; you're going to heaven."

Jeffs - who is representing himself - repeatedly and noisily objected to the playing of the recordings on religious grounds. Each time, Judge Barbara Walther overruled him.

When invited to respond to Jeffs' outbursts, prosecutor Eric Nichols said there can be "no claim of privilege, regardless of the religion, with respect to communications directly relevant to sexual assault of a child."

Before the court adjourned Tuesday night, jurors were shown a photograph of a closet where 12 white robes hung. A close-up of one of the robes showed a label with the name of one of the purported victims.

Jeffs is charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child and one count of bigamy. He is expected to be tried on the bigamy charge at a later date.

On Wednesday, prosecutors are expected to play an audio recording that, they allege, reveals the sexual assault of a 12-year-old victim.

Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has repeatedly objected to the trials proceedings on religious grounds, claiming that his religious freedom is "being trampled upon."

The trial began last Monday.

Jeffs was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list when he was arrested five years ago during a routine 2006 traffic stop in Las Vegas.

The Texas legal proceedings came about after nearly 400 children were taken from the sect's Yearning for Zion ranch in a 2008 raid. While child protection officials said they found a pervasive pattern of sexual abuse through forced marriages of underage girls and older men, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state had no right to remove the children and most were returned to their families.